Ashes Of Paradise
by Aozoran
Summary: AU/Timeline mix. What if you lost someone in the future? Would you be willing to take a risk and go back to save them? Willing to chance the entire future for the sake of the one you love? One man was. ConYuu
1. Part 1: Moonlight

**Author's Note: This is completely random XD a personal need to get it out of my head and onto a screen somewhere. XD I have no idea WHERE the plot is going, but hopefully it will be nice enough to tell me sooner or later. XD **

**Disclaimer: I do own Yulian Von Wincott, Astarte and Muller. YAAAY FOR THE UNIVERSE. **

**There should be three or four parts to this story ^^ I've been playing around for two weeks with at least six ideas. XD I just NEEDED to put one somewhere. Hopefully someone out there will like it ^_^ **

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_Horses nickered softly in the night, the smells of food wafting through the fabric of the tent, teasing senses and lingering for a few moments before dispelling. Ragged breaths escaped dry lips, brown strands flopping right into cinnamon eyes, stinging them slightly, before he could sweep them back with his fingertips. He jerked at the feeling of dampness on his fingertips, his shaking hand drawing away to allow him to see the teardrops that clung to calloused pads of his digits. Chest heaving, Conrart Weller felt the burn of the tears clearly now, the raw sting sweeping down over his cheeks and soaking into the collar of his shirt. Raw agony twisted his heart, the images of Yuuri's own tear streaked face filling his vision, haunting him in a way nothing else could. _

'Conrart.'

_His entire body jerked at the sound of that voice, heart pounding all over again, everything inside him screaming for him to answer that call, answer his King and explain all. It tore at him every moment, the guilt, the overwhelming feeling of guilt and self-hatred that he had been responsible for those tears. Fingers tugged harshly at his dark locks, palm scrubbing against his eyes for a moment, attempting to rub away the evidence of his emotions, but he couldn't seem to stop. Once they had started to fall, the salty droplets wouldn't stop falling down across his tanned cheeks, the lump in his throat expanded almost choking him. _

'Conrart.'

_The tantalising whisper inside his own mind sounded as if... the King's own heart were breaking at the sight of his tears. Though his brows suddenly came together, shivering slightly and becoming aware that the name being called was... his true one and not the... _

_Head lifting, his eyes caught the glint of something in the mirror, a shadow behind the glass. Something was there, something waiting for him, watching him with such sad inky black eyes, such compassion and understanding lingering in their depths. The image was that of a man, not a boy, a face ivory pale was framed by a mass of raven strands that tangled down on either side, the mane drawn back into an unmanageable tail at the nape of the reflection's neck. Yuuri? The face was worn, dark smudges ran across sweeping cheekbones, a man that had seen far too much in his life. _

_"Your Majesty..." Choking out the words, he was struggling to free himself from the sheets, legs tangling in the fabric as he staggered once, his body jolting as he awkwardly spilled out on his knees before the mirror. He was clumsy, his body barely answering anything he asked of it, the ragged breaths hissing from his lungs, shoulders trembling with the force of his own emotional distress. For Conrart there was no middle ground, his soul was a raging inferno beneath his controlled calm, powerful and overwhelming, as fiery as Wolfram's._

'You haven't called me that in such a long time.'_ The shadow moved in the reflection of the room, a ghostly image that moved to stand beside him, before dropping down to both knees at his side, turning to look at him. _'Though sometimes I think you almost forgot what to call me in those moments I caught you off guard...'

_Conrart turned his head, almost expecting to see the man, the grown Maou beside him, but was instantly met with open air, nothing at all, until he glanced back into the mirror. He was still there, a solid presence, a ghost in the reflection. Was this another of his dreams of his King? A brush of warmth fluttered across his jaw, like butterfly wings sliding across his skin, the play of a thumb stroking at the tears, brushing them away. The reflection's hand touched him, reflecting the action of which he had felt. _

'I could never stand your tears, Conrart. It always broke my heart to see them.'_ A second hand joined the first, thumbs sweeping at the continuing stream of tears, attempting to catch the wayward drops before they soaked into the already damp shirt that half clung to Conrart's sweaty frame. _'I know I cannot offer much this night.'

_"Your... Majesty... I..." The words wanted to spill out, every single one of them to slide out of his soul and into the night air for this man's judgement. _

'I know.'

_Conrart jerked as if struck, his hands trembling now, barely able to remain still as they wanted nothing more than to clasp one of those hands that stroked his cheeks, cling to the lifeline that had been given to him. _

'And I forgave you for this. You only tried to serve my wishes as best you knew how. I cannot fault you for that.'_ Arms tucked around Conrart's shoulders, pulling the soldier in against a warm chest, tucking the brown head just beneath his chin, nuzzling the silky chocolate locks. The reflection cradled the anguished soldier, drawing him in close and refusing to let go, rocking ever so slightly and attempting to stem the flow of silent tears. _

_"How can you...?" His fingers curled into warm fabric, senses filling with that of a man, leather... parchment... ink... so many things clinging to those dark clothes and the soft skin. "How can you forgive me for this, your Majesty? I have... betrayed you. Drawn my blade against you..." He couldn't let go, his entire body shaking like a leaf caught in a storm, but he was still being cradled, even though he was far larger than his sovereign even now... those arms held him tightly. _

'Shhh.'

_A palm pressed against the back of his nape, keeping Conrart's head him close, preventing him from moving away while he closed his eyes tightly, just allowing himself to feel the heat of that embrace slowly ease the shaking in his limbs. His heart ached at the sensations, the deep love he had always held for this man almost overwhelming him, his thoughts of the boy... Why would he see his Maou as a man? He couldn't be his usually calm self, not in the light of his actions, not in the gloom of his nightmares. _

_"Sire..." _

'I don't have much time.'_ Yuuri gripped Conrart just a little more tightly, just trying to absorb the grief of the other man and bring it into himself. _'I always regretted... not being able to be here for you, that circumstances prevented me from returning to your side.'

_His senses tingled, the quiet whisper that had always told him where Yuuri was, the throb of pain sparked in his heart and he knew something was terribly wrong. This time when he looked up, he could see the Maou, smell the metallic tang of blood in the air, and the dark smear across one side of his Maou's face. Everything in him lurched with such fiery rage that someone would be able to get close enough to Yuuri to wound him. "Yuuri!" Large hands lifted to touch the deep wound that was half hidden by the dark strands, his fingers were stained a bright crimson when they pulled away at the sudden wetness. Gripping the slender jaw, he turned the man's head slightly, sweeping the raven locks back and his widened at the dark jagged slash that worked its way from forehead to just behind one ear. "Who did this?" He demanded as he pressed his palm against it, his other hand reaching for the nearest piece of cloth to staunch the dark flow of rich fluid out of the wound. _

'Conrart, I am already gone.'

_"NO!" His cinnamon eyes met obsidian and tried to hold the man's gaze, desperate to keep the one he loved with him. "You... you are right here." And the slender frame was dropping forwards into his arms, the Maou's energy used up in attempting to comfort him. "Here with me." _

_And one hand slipped down across the slender back and bumped up against something jutting from living flesh, his palm sliding against the hilt of the dagger. It had penetrated deep, piercing the liver, allowing the rich blood to slow ooze from around the blade. Shifting the man in his arms, he was desperately trying to work out what to do, he would have instantly lifted the form upwards, and taken him to the nearest field medic. How had this happened? How had they failed so badly that their Maou had been dealt such a deep wound. Did... Conrart fail him again? _

_"Yuuri... please..." The Maou had come here, somehow come to this moment to comfort him... why? Why! When he was so grievously injured. From what place in the future, had this man come? How far into the future until that moment came... when he would indeed fail to protect Yuuri from danger? _

'Not your fault... Con. They caught us both by surprise, we were both exhausted. Stretched beyond our limits and...'

_"It is no excuse for putting you in danger! Such a lapse is unforgiveable." _

'Oh, Love.'

_Dark obsidian eyes glinted with candle light as they gazed up at him, the life slowly beginning to fade, the warmth drifting away as the body in his arms began to evaporate, turning into the insubstantiality of the ghost Yuuri was. _

_Conrart felt his heart surged upwards into his throat at the endearment, his expression showing just how startled he was at that single word. "Yuuri." _

'Never forget... Conrart just how much I love you.'

_A hand brushed at the tears, something cold sliding across his skin, making him turn his head just enough to catch the flash of a band around one finger. A wedding band. A single binding of silver, gold and bronze strands, woven together in a symbol of something that strangely tugged at Conrart's heart. He was trying to hold him close, keep the Maou with him, but the tighter his grip the more the ghost seemed to fade away. "Yuuri... Stay with me! YUURI!" His head dipped, finding warm lips, desperate to do something, anything to keep this man from vanishing from his life. Sweeping the slender body up, he was still leaning over him, staggering towards the flap of the tent and the camp beyond. Pulling out the knife would only allow the wound to flow more freely, he couldn't let go. _

'You... are my happiness.'

_His heart melted at the words, before being overwhelmed by his sense of horror over the feeling of the body in his arms no longer resisting at all. The face tucked into the crook of his throat, the faint breath fluttering warmly over the skin. "No, please." His face buried against the dark locks, cradling the warm body close to his chest, stepping into the light spilling over from the nearest campfire and gazed down into the insubstantial mass, the burden in his arms lessening. "Yuuri... I..." His cinnamon eyes were dark with so many emotions, wishing nothing more than to speak of all the feelings that lay within his heart. _

'My Conrart...'

_And the weight was lifted, Conrart stood in the firelight, his clothes streaked with splashes of dark blood as a single ring dropped to the grass at his feet, glinting up at him merrily. His hands trembled as they lifted, his fingers streaked with drying crimson and knowing that he had failed his Maou once more. Yet, in his heart, the spark of desperate love had been fanned as his hand reached down towards the ring and closed around it tightly, lifting it to his lips. _

_"I swear on my life. I will not fail you, your Majesty." Swallowing hard, his shoulders trembled, Conrart remaining unnoticed by the half drunk soldiers sprawled around the blaze and the simmering pot of stew resting in the hot coals. "I will not fail you, Yuuri, I will be by your side, even if I have to up everything I will." _

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_

A raw sound escaped from dry lips, damp brown strands sliding down into cinnamon eyes, prickling skin before he could sweep them back with his fingertips. Sitting up amongst the pooling white sheets, he trying to tamper down on the raging emotions that assaulted him in reaction to his rather violent dream. He stiffened at the wetness he found trailing down his face. The impressions of something teasing his mind, images and things that didn't quite seem to belong to him, yet he knew inexplicably that they were his own.

"Conrart?" A sleepy voice responded to the sounds of distress, a slender hand slowly sliding up along the curve of the powerful back, stroking tenderly and attempted to ease whatever was tormenting the soldier. Soft lips pressed a kiss against one broad shoulder, a soft cheek nuzzling the tanned skin in an attempted to offer some kind of solace to the soldier. A wild tangle of raven locks teased lightly over the sweat covered skin, the younger man ignoring it as he continued to lightly sweep his hand up and down over the plains of that back.

"I..." The words caught in his throat, the unexplainable pain flaring inside before he allowed himself to be soothed, the slender limbs coiling around his solid chest, both palms pressed over the flat of his belly as that soft mouth danced against the nape of Conrart's neck, lapping at the salty skin and rubbing into the shaggy chocolate locks.

"Don't you even think of apologising." The heated breath teased against the back of Conrart's ear, teeth nipping softly at the shell of it, like a naughty cat, practically purring against him with each tantalising movement.

Pleasure stirred in response to the contact, the physical sensations extremely welcome, his hand dropped down to spread his own hand over one of the smaller ones, drawing it upwards and over his heart. The other man could feel the pounding of his heart, like a galloping horse that didn't seem to want to slow. "My Lord." Conrart leaned a little into the contact, focusing on the feeling of that mouth sliding against his skin, pushing away everything else in favour of relishing that intimate caress.

"I'm never going to get you to say my name am I? Not even here." Kissing the side of the soldier's neck, he continued to hug the larger frame close, feeling the tension slowly easing out of the larger body. There were so many nights like this one, his companion jerking hard and awakening from the nightmare of something even he didn't know and of which the handsome soldier wouldn't speak of. Pausing as he nuzzled that shoulder again, he finally lifted his hand to touch the handsome face, sliding fingers back through the damp strands of hair, palm brushing at the damp trails that marred the warm cheeks. He didn't comment about it, just giving the other man the acceptance he needed on a night like this. "You don't need to say anything."

Conrart swallowed hard around lump in his throat at those words, his eyes drifting closed as he leaned into the contact, wondering how he had ever earned such a thing. They were not intimate. It was simply the way their odd little relationship worked, it was merely that both _needed_ such a thing in the darker hours of the night. Conrart the soft warm hands that could steal away the shadows that plagued his dreams, the images of things he didn't quite recognise and for Yulian it was needing someone to guard him, to keep out the dark presence that hunted him.

"I continue to disturb your sleep, my Lord..." Lids slipped closed down over cinnamon eyes, hating the fact that he craved this so much, he was intruding in the personal space and chambers of one who was far more than himself. Taking advantage... yet no matter how often he tried to convince himself that this could not continue, he would be unable to go more than a few hours in his own bed before he found himself out in the corridors returning to the side of this noble. Yozak knew he was here, the other half demon aware of the fact that his Captain never remained look in his chambers during the hours he was free of duties or during the evening hours.

"How many times have I told you? I do not mind. I have _you_, that is enough to make up for any lack of sleep."

"My Lord." He took a deep cleansing breath, feeling a spark of warmth flare in his heart at the knowledge that his presence brought this man some sense of happiness. His own hand stretched out, hesitating a moment before brushing against a silky cheek, fingers unerringly brushing against the ragged raised edges of the scar that ran from behind one ear across the temple and back into the wild raven strands, feeling the jolting burn of anger that another had caused such harm to one so endearing and compassionate. "I am grateful for your words."

"Well, if you are... would you consider sharing breakfast with me?" Yulian leaned firmly against Conrart's side, dark obsidian eyes glittering like polished stones in that pale face.

His mouth opened, ready to give an answer to the other man, but nothing came out, his ability to say anything coherent seemed utterly gone. His hand almost trembling as it brushed at the wild raven strands that spilled down over the beautiful features, a mane of pitch black that glinted a raven's wing blue in the moonlight that spilled across the tangled sheets.

"Julia was having tea with you, wasn't she?" Head tipping slightly, he was attempting to remember the things that his cousin had spoke to him of, his fingers stroking lightly over the warm cheek softly, straightening a little as he dropped a kiss against the corner of Conrart's lips. "She spoke of it..." The jolt of jealousy skittered through his belly, a feeling he couldn't easily dismiss, but one that he did clamp down on to prevent Conrart catching it expressed in his eyes. He loved his cousin more than he could say, enjoyed being around her, soaking in the happiness that seemed to bloom all around her and return it where he could. But when it came to _this_ man he could not content himself, no matter what he told himself, that he wanted himself that growing so attached was not a _good_ idea.

"Yes, my Lord."

Abruptly he felt bereft, his body stiffened as the slender one slipped from the sheets beside him, his fingers almost clenching the dark strands as they slipped through his grasp. His gaze following the beautiful creature that slowly stood up in the moonlight, white skin gleaming, though his gaze drifted down the curve of that back to the scar that ran across the smooth skin about half way down.

Shifting amongst the sheets, he was leaning forwards, his fingers spanning the length of that mark, a thumb trailing across it, wishing he could erase it, remove all the things that were associated with that mark. "Have I displeased you?" And this time he couldn't help himself, shifting to the edge of the bed, his feet dropping to the cool floor, his arms reached out and caught the smaller man, reeling him back in and between his knees to rest his head between those shoulderblades. There was no resistance to the contact, something that always amazed him. Most demons found his touch... _distasteful_, yet Yulian Von Wincott would lean back into his.

"No. Nothing like that." Lacing his fingers through one of Conrart's he squeezed, just remaining still as he was held, a smile turning his lips upwards at the feeling of lips finally touching his skin, touching across the visible mar of the white skin on his back. His soldier seemed... caught by the marks, continuing his attentions on the imperfections as if trying to erase them. "I was just wanting to feel the moonlight on my skin."

"You are a terrible liar, my Lord." Conrart's voice was muffled against smooth skin, tightening his grip and feeling a bubble of pain that he had caused any kind of distress to a man that had made life just that little better.

"How so?"

"You do not like leaving the bed when I am present." A simple observation, the dark haired man would remain as close as possible during the few hours they had when no one was the wiser to their nocturnal habits, before Conrart rose from the bed to start his morning rounds and attend to his troops.

"That might be true, but I still love the moonlight." Eyes sparkled for a moment over his shoulder before slipping out of Conrart's grasp, a hand swiping the shirt that lay nearly over a nearby chair, drawing the length of it up over his arms, buttoning a few of the small white fastenings. The entire thing half slipped off one slight shoulder, but kept out most of the chill that had seeped into the rather nice rooms he had at Covenant Castle. The tails of the shirt reached down to the backs of his thighs, the cuffs slipping down past his fingertips, before he attempted to push them back upwards again. "Its such a beautiful night." Moving to the windows, he leaned against it slightly, gazing out at the vast gardens that stretched out between the high walls and this wing of the castle.

Conrart's eyes followed the man's progress, feeling a heated ache coiling tightly in his belly at the sight of Yulian dressed in only sleeping pants and his own large shirt. For some reason, he liked the idea that it was his, it was pleasing to watch, the slight sway of those hips and the glances he received over one shoulder.

"Could we go out?" Gazing down into the quiet grounds of the castle, he glanced back over his shoulder, obsidian eyes studying Conrart's face, knowing sleep would be impossible for at least an hour. He was quite familiar with the long minutes that would run by the pair of them when the nightmares disturbed them both. Adrenaline was not a good thing, especially when it was not productive at all when it came to sleep.

The hour was... not one for doing anything outside of a bedchamber, but... he had been careless with his actions. Yulian _was_ important to him and to deny the Lord anything was... Julia had asked him to have tea with her... which made it practically impossible to get back in time for breakfast. He should have asked... said something... other than _nothing_...

"Of course, my Lord." Conrart smiled slightly, the corners of his lips turning upwards as he rolled off the bed and stood, moving towards his clean uniform that sat folded neatly on the chair close to the fire. It had always made him wonder exactly how Yulian always had it waiting for him without anyone being the wiser to his clothes being taken from his room and brought here.

"_Con_."

His body froze midstride at the sound of the nickname, one that only Yulian ever used for him. The tone of that voice made him instantly aware he was being watched, dark eyes following his passage across the room. He was suddenly aware of his own body in that moment, aware that the only clothing he wore was his own sleeping pants... that those dark eyes were scanning every inch of his skin.

"You do know you have other clothes than that... I doubt anyone will see us."

Clothes that had been bought for him by Yulian and that meant the man's intention was to head out of the castle grounds. "As you say." Bowing his head slightly, he was conscious of the fact that the very act of accepting those clothes was like agreeing that he belonged here. His cinnamon eyes glanced around him at the familiar chambers, noting the few hidden objects that were interspersed with Yulian's. A bundle of his assignment papers, a personal trinket given to him by his mother, a few books... and his spare sword hidden near the doorway behind one of the tapestries, hanging from specially fixed hooks that Yulian himself had hammered into place. Hidden behind one of the books on the shelf was the small collection of parchment notes sent to him by Yulian, short messages... little private thoughts that no one would be able to link between them if found. Yulian didn't know he had kept every single one of those hand written messages.

_Home_.

The word came unbidden, bringing with it the flood of intense feelings that rose from where he had pushed them. The emotion that accompanied every dream about... a man who looked so much like Yulian, of a boy Conrart had not know, but had grown into someone with his Yulian's beautiful face and mischievous demeanour.

Suddenly a shirt flopped right on top of Conrart's head, the fabric sliding down over his face into his hands as he gazed straight at the grinning face of the slender man who was dressed in black riding pants and... _Conrart's_ _shirt_. It was fully buttoned and the cuffs rolled up enough that they didn't completely cover the elegant hands that he liked so much.

"Where are you tonight, Conrart? You aren't usually this quiet." It was a slight tease, obsidian eyes twinkling at him in amusement, Conrart usually _was_ this quiet. "You get dressed and I'll find where your boots ended up in the sitting room."

"My Lord... you are not... wearing that are you?" He knew his position, keenly aware that he had no right to question someone who was his superior, it was still something that came between them, but...

"Why not?" Running his hands down over the slightly starched material, he inhaled deeply and just smiled rather unrepentantly at Conrart. "I _like_ it. Smells like you too." Bringing one folded cuff to his nose, he inhaled again gently, catching the faint scent that lingered on the fabric, rubbing it against his cheek slightly.

"You are indeed a Wincott."

Black eyes brightened at that as he straightened slightly, his lips turning upwards and nuzzled the fabric again. "Of course I am."

"_Mischievous_."

"Well I'm not as bad as Julia." Colour flared across pale cheeks, Yulian unable to hide the feelings that ran so close to the surface, his desire to be the object of this man's affections. "She has a perchance for causing quite a bit of mischief when she wants to. Uncle was always running after her..."

"And I assume you were a well behaved child, my Lord?"

Pouting slightly at Conrart, his eyes lifted to the ceiling and blew out a short breath. "As one could be." He had been adopted from a distant branch of the Von Wincott family by the younger brother of Julia's father, Alois Von Wincott and his wife, Alexandria. He was only grateful to have been taken in, they had been any child's dream, loving parents that always made him feel as if he belonged, the loss of both of them had struck him hard several years before and the running of the vast estate that belonged to Alois had fallen to him. His birth parents had practically abandoned him, a Double Black like him was too... _different_ and they had not wanted to be... known for having a son like him.

Smoothing out the shirt, he went to the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of riding pants, sliding them on after having heard the soft snick of the door's lock as the younger man went in search of Conrart's wayward boots. He paused before the wide windows, looking out at the gardens beyond and towards the edge of city that he could see over the castle's high walls. On the very edge, he could see the glow of a thousand fires, the camps of soldiers waiting to be deployed, of the war that lurked outside of these rooms, the war that had torn apart so many lives.

When had this all started? When had sleeping curled against the slender body of this gorgeous man become something so necessary? It had all started that day they had met, the two of them falling in strangely together with such familiarity on the main Wincott Estate. A fencing teacher to Delchais Von Wincott... and Yulian, a highly respected member of the Wincott family. It... had been...

Conrart jolted when he felt something heavy settling around his hips, his cinnamon eyes blinking wide as he stared down at the mass of raven strands that filled his vision, glinting a touch blue in the moonlight that pooled around them. Yulian was on his knees before Conrart, buckling the sword belt into place around his hips, fingers making quick work of it, having done the action several times before.

"You _are_ off with the Bone Tribe this evening."

"I..."

"You don't need to tell me, as always, I am just happy to have you here with me. I still dislike the time we spend apart, though I am glad you were able to enjoy the bath this evening." The thought of that made him smile.

_Droplets of water dripped over the edge of the large porcelain-white claw footed bath and down onto the tiles of the floor, steam slowly coiled up from within the bath, filling the air with the scents of a myriad of scents that melted the body and soothed all troubled thoughts away. Long chocolate lashes brushed against tanned cheeks, the body curled into the warmth of the water, half hidden from view by the cloudiness of the salts that had been added by the maid who had heated the water. His cheek rested against the cool lip of the tub, his wild brown locks clinging to his skin as water continued to drip from them and down onto the floor. _

_It was luxury. A sheer pleasure to just soak in heated water, to be alone for a little while and enjoy one privilege he had been given by... _

_"I see my bath is being put to good use." _

_Cinnamon eyes jerked open to stare at the slight frame that leaned against the doorframe, a wide smile decorating soft lips, his heart jumping at the sight of that man watching him like that. It had been on the orders of this dark haired demon that he had actually had the hot bath waiting for him, the personal maid having arranged for it to be perfectly heated when he had arrived in the sitting room of the private quarters of the noble. The piece of parchment sat tucked in a pocket of his uniform, the message that had arrived for him via one of the pages to come to see the Lord at Covenant Castle. _

_Conrart just sank a little more deeply beneath the surface, the warmth of it drawing everything out of him, including any capacity to answer the man. Yulian Von Wincott gave him a knowing look, clearly pleased with the results of his small plot to have Conrart to himself a little earlier than usual. _

_Moving slowly to the side of the bath, one hand reached out and stroked against a heat flushed cheek, thumb sliding against the inviting lips, before rubbing his knuckles along the slight stubble that ran across the strong jaw, feeling the slight scratch of it against his skin. The soldier's head turned slightly, pressing into the contact, returning the slight rub of stubbled jaw against sensitive knuckles. _

A hint of colour stole its way up across his throat, heat running and pooling again in places it shouldn't. Clamping down on his body's reaction, he was desperate tried to keep everything from deciding to 'explode' on him, it would not do for the Lord to realise exactly what he was thinking about when he saw the man on his knees before him like that. Even he tried to not think about the thoughts that clambered in his mind. _Desire_. Raw and sharp, cutting at his control the more time he spent around Yulian.

"Do you miss me, Conrart?" Leaning forwards so that his face could press against the warm belly, feeling the rock hard muscles beneath the shirt.

"Indeed I do, my Lord."

Both hands tunnelled through the raven mass, sliding both his fingers through the long length of it as it spread out across the slender shoulders, though he couldn't help but touch the scar that was hidden beneath the mass, from where a sword had struck hard against the younger man's skull. He should have been there guarding Yulian. The entire incident was one that he had only heard about _weeks_ after it had occurred. He had never known such rage before in himself, his utter fury over the fact that someone who was meant to protect the Lord had actually turned his blade against him. Conrart had been unable to go to his Lord, unable to go to the one that mattered most because of his duties. The one who had been responsible for that... lay dead in a ditch, Conrart having exacted the justice needed for such a hateful act.

And it had all been for money, all because Yulian spoke out against the war, spoke out against the bitter hatred and racism that burned in the hearts of so many. He had his suspicion who had offered such payment to a member of Yulian's trusted guards. Conrart had never spoken of it to anyone, of the act he had committed where all had failed before him, but Yozak knew, the blue eyes had shone with the knowledge of the death on Conrart Weller's hands.

_'You did what was right, Captain, I'm just sorry I wasn't there to help you.' _

The half demon had returned to the Capital only to find Yulian waiting for him, having come to be close to Lady Suzanna Julia at her request so that his nearly fatal wounds could be treated by herself and Gisela in the privacy offered by Covenant Castle.

He should have abandoned his duties the moment he had known... gone to the Lord... returned to the one that had _needed_ him that day. In the depths of his heart, he blamed himself. He alone was responsible for not ensuring the safety of one precious to him, checking each of the guards for any suspicious activities or any questionable tendencies.

"You are at it again." Yulian blinked down at him slightly, lips turning upwards into a quiet little smile, one eyebrow raised in question. "You're so pensive."

Gritting his teeth at the flash of self-hated that burned in his gut, he disliked that he had forgotten himself so much that evening. The dream had not helped, the feeling that he had failed _again_, the feeling of warm blood flowing over his fingers, the cold steel buried deep in the flesh of the one he cared for.

"We do not need to go out." Yulian was tipping his head up slightly, his hand reaching out to lightly stroke his fingers across the warm cheek, feeling the heat of that tanned skin, his expression softening as he gazed at the man before him. Conrart was such a puzzle, so many things crammed in behind the quiet stoic expression, so much raw emotion and feeling that could explode at times. He had seen it once, the lightning that crackled and jumped when one of Yulian's guards had been careless in regards to his care and allowed the Lord to be placed in danger.

Their relationship was an odd one, both of them having been together and apart several times since that first meeting. Their duties and lives taking them in different directions, but the moment both were together in the same place, Conrart would find his way to Yulian, unobserved and unhesitatingly willing to put up with practically anything to keep up what they had. It was still... just them needing the comfort. Conrart's heart truly belonged to Julia, he had seen the pair together several times and felt the burning jealousy rock him. Julia had a way with Conrart... despite the fact that Julia loved Adalbert, Yulian didn't attempt to plead for more than what they already had, knowing it could break apart...

"We _are_ going." Conrart couldn't help it, his hand reached out and drew Yulian upwards, sweeping the slender body under his shoulder, a touch possessive in the action after both had finished with boots and a few other things. Soon moving towards the door and out into the silent corridor, the main door leading out into the hallway was locked firmly against intruders.

Yulian turned his head slightly, glancing along the silent hall and smiled, dark obsidian eyes laughing. "Good morning to you, Yozak."

Conrart was not surprised at all when the amber haired half-demon stepped out into the light of one of the torches, grinning like a fool and giving a quick salute. "Mornin', your Excellency, Captain." Blue eyes positively sparkled as he glanced at what Conrart was wearing, noting the slight tip of the sword belt around the Captain's hips and knowing that it had been Yulian that had buckled it there. They looked good together, natural in their closeness, now if only Conrart would get a _clue_ about just what he had and could lose through his heart's foolishness. "You're getting better, Excellency, faster."

"I fear it is merely being use to your presence and knowing your habits." Yulian honestly liked Yozak, the man was reliable and was someone who would protect Conrart with everything he had. The noble had actually talked to Yozak on the matter, stating in no uncertain terms that if Conrart did come to harm when Yozak was watching over him, the half demon would answer for it.

"Being predictable is not a good thing." Sighing, he rubbed his fingers along his jaw and then grinned at the slightly darkened look that flashed across Conrart's face that made him grin even wider. It was clear his Captain liked having the Lord's attention all to himself on nights like these. "What are your plans, Excellency?"

"A ride. I thought down through the town, just a few minutes in the night air would calm me. I can't seem to sleep well this evening."

Instantly Yozak glanced towards Conrart, knowing the one that couldn't sleep now was his Captain, the restless nature of the man always did seem to catch up with him at times like this. He had often here the sounds of the man stirring in his sleep, jerking awake and gazing around him with an expression on his face, one that could not quite be explained because of the complex web of emotions that were etched into the wild features.

"You want to check on the shipment, don't you, your Excellency?"

Conrart's gaze jumped from Yozak back to the man beside him, his fingers curling slightly against curve of one hip, squeezing lightly in question.

"I fear I never could keep anything from either of you. I saw the torches coming up from the east and I knew it had to be the shipment and I did want to check on it myself. Though his main plan had been to share a few moments with Conrart, both of them together in silence like that, riding together as they had done a few times before."

"Lord Von Wincott has been quite a busy man, Captain. Unlike most would think, he is actually quite _good_ at paperwork when he puts his mind to it." Teasing the noble, he felt secure in knowing that they were friends, the raven haired man was someone who looked out for those he cared about and wouldn't hesitate to go out of his way to make sure they were safe. "I saw the messenger arrive at camp after you had come to the castle, Captain. Got a glimpse of what he was carrying." He wasn't about to admit he snuck in to read the small document that had been given to the quartermaster of the Lutenberg Division, one that bore in the embossed paper the mark of the Von Wincott family.

"My Lord?" His cinnamon eyes reflected his surprise over the mention of a 'shipment'. Their Division usually didn't get much in the way of that, always getting what was left and it was barely enough to give the soldiers what they needed to survive a battle.

"It is not much." Pale cheeks suddenly flushed a vibrant red, even his ears seemed to glow with the heat that burned through him at being caught. He was not one to usually mess in Conrart's affairs, especially not when it might risk gaining him the attentions of 'general' Geigen Huber.

"Full supplies, Captain. Everything we've been lacking, paid for by Lord Von Wincott personally."

"_Yuu_." Conrart's heart throbbed hard against his ribs, pounding so loudly that he thought the entire castle could hear it. Yulian Von Wincott was a man that had his loyalties, but to personally order a shipment like that in a world where such supplies were in extremely high demand... it would have cost a considerable amount to give the entire Division what it needed.

Yulian jerked hard at the sound of that particular nickname, his obsidian eyes so wide in his face he looked like a frightened kitten. Conrart had never called him by name, especially not something so intimate like that. "They are good men." He was trying desperately to cover the surprise and wonder that filled him, his entire body shivering slightly with the rush of heat flaring through his blood. "Good loyal men that have proven themselves." Considering the Division was made up of those like Conrart and Yozak, most would not even consider wasting such supplies on them. His fears remained that Geigen Huber would speak to Lord Von Spitzweg about them, that bigot was someone that Yulian wanted nothing more than to strike for some of the filth that came out of his mouth.

Dropping to one knee before Yulian, Conrart reached out for the lord's hand, drawing the fingers to his lips and bowing his head over them, expressing in the one action his loyalty. "My Lord."

"Conrart... please..." Badly flustered, he was attempting to draw his fingers back, suddenly extremely embarrassed to be the centre of attention. However, the redness of his face didn't improve when he felt the caress of those fingers against his knuckles, the brush of a tongue teasing each digit lightly. And suddenly he remembered he was not in his usual blue and white clothes but was in Conrart's large shirt and riding pants, looking as undignified as possible with his raven locks falling down across his shoulders and part way down his shoulderblades.

Cinnamon eyes burned at him from behind the strands of chocolate that fell beautiful across his forehead, rewarding Yulian in the only way he knew how before another, hiding what they had to keep it 'appropriate', even though when he finally did release that hand, he could feel it trembling as he released it. "I cannot express, my Lord, the gratitude I feel for you doing such a thing for my men. There is nothing I can say that can accurately..."

"Maybe... we should just go." Yulian was looking everywhere but down into those gorgeous eyes that seemed to pin him to the spot. Conrart was like that, one moment as silent and as cool as a spring breeze and then like the autumn rainstorms, fierce and burning and he liked that about the man, being allowed to witness the changes in mood, watch those piercing eyes light up... glittering at him in those rare moments. "I don't want to be caught by the guards... Um..."

"Well now." Yozak gave Conrart a knowing look. "I think..."

"Yozak." It was a warning.

The slightly younger half demon just grinned, white teeth glinting in the darkness, before glancing back over his shoulder. "I'll watch your back, Captain."

Moving swiftly down the corridor, Conrart was easily keeping pace with the shorter strides of his Lord, his eyes never stopped studying the corridors, making sure that at every moment that he had Yulian protected. Yozak had already vanished into the shadows, observing from a distance and clearly not going to be too far away at all during their night sojourn. This was going to be an interesting night after all.

* * *

"_Con_." A finger was held to his lips as they moved through the stables past the sleeping Dacauscas, the horses snorting softly and glancing towards them both as they were heading through the ranks of them. "Here." His hand caught at Conrart's shoulder, tugging softly as they stopped before his own white mare and one of the larger stallions. "We can use mine." Carefully both of them were moving around the animals as moonlight spilled into the stables, providing them with enough light to saddle the horses and draw them out past the sleeping guard.

Putting one foot in the stirrup, Yulian was just about to push himself upwards, when a pair of strong hands caught him around his waist, lifting him with ease onto the back of the horse, steadying him as he settled into the saddle. His hand reached out to stroke a soft caress over the warm cheek, thumb brushing against the slight stubble that he found, his gentle expression of affection for how well the soldier took care of him.

Drawing the horses along by the reins towards one of the quieter gateways, he was remembering that one of the guards that he frequently passed by was there. Their exit would cause the least about of trouble and questioning as to where they were heading, he knew it would be best that way.

"Sir Weller." The brown haired guard greeted them with a salute, before blinking up in surprise at the figure seated on the back of the white mare, his olive brown eyes blinking in surprise before looking back towards the captain in interest.

"I would appreciate your discretion, Muller, about this.." Conrart said to the man, shifting slightly and glancing back towards Yulian and feeling a heated flutter jolt through him. The man looked elegant like that, even dressed in riding pants and his own shirt, the man looked as if he had been born to...

"Of course, Sir. No need to worry, you have my word." Before he turned his attention to the raven haired demon, the sentry giving a warm smile to the lord as well. "Have a good ride, Lord Von Wincott, Sir Weller."

"Thankyou, Muller." The obsidian warmed as he smiled down at the Sentry, before he was trotting his mare through the gateway and they were swiftly moving off through the dark streets, Conrart close behind him settling on the back of the long legged stallion.

"Let's see just how good a rider you are, Conrart Weller." Yulian through the older man a challenging grin, urging his mare into a run, the horse taking the rider's direction as they headed quickly through the streets, the only sound was the metal horse shoes clicking against the smooth worn cobble stones. Leaning forwards against the back of the mare, he let out the reins a little, trusting in the mare, knowing she was the most surefooted of his personal horses.

His raven locks were swept back away from his face, whipping against his shoulders as he couldn't help but laugh in sheer delight at the feeling, the moonlit streets becoming their playground for a few brief moments in the grim reality of war. Conrart was outpacing him, the larger bay stallion using the straight roads to gain ground on them, the man attempting to corral him, reel him in.

Suddenly the town gave way to open ground, the open fields around the town spread out before them like a patchwork quilt of crops and grazing land, and beyond that first ring of agricultural lands was the first camp. Yulian knew exactly which one of these quiet camps was that of the Lutenberg Division, he was familiar with them as he had spent a few days on this last stay at Covenant Castle to be a touch closer to Conrart and to get to know the men that fought with his soldier. Urging the horse onwards, he matched his horse's strides to those of Conrart's, snatching quick looks at the other man and not quite knowing what to say as they rode through the quiet night.

"Are you happy, Conrart?"

The question caught the soldier hard in the gut, his cinnamon eyes widened slightly, not having quiet known where that one had come from. "I am."

"I want your honest answer, Con, not just what you think will make me happy." His voice was quiet, but he was feeling suddenly awkward, his fingers tugging at the edges of one half unrolled cuff, playing with the fabric and knowing that their relationship was... reaching a point where something _had_ to happen. He was willing to hide what they had, but his heart was beginning to get tangled up, coiled in the mess of emotions that bound them. Yulian was... unhappy. What he wanted was something he couldn't have. No matter what he did, he knew... Conrart's heart belonged to Julia and he couldn't blame him for it. Julia had a way with people that even Yulian couldn't compare to.

Swallowing back a sound, Conrart gripped the reins tighter, wishing he knew exactly what to do in this situation. How close was Yulian to him? How close... had they become? What about Julia? His heart ached at the thought of her, at the longing that remained deep inside himself when he was with her. He loved her desperately, but knew she was out of reach... but... what if he did confess to her? Speak of what rested in his heart, maybe she would return his affections? His courage was lacking on that point, his soul aching in a way when he allowed his eyes to take in the beauty of the man beside him. His heart craved Julia, but his soul pleaded with him to stay with Yulian, tearing his insides apart.

"I... cannot say."

"Its alright, I shouldn't have asked." But he had wanted to, needed to have an answer so that he could know if he would ever have a chance with Conrart, a chance to truly love the man as he wished to do, other than just in the physical sense.

Lips pressed together slightly, as he quickened the horse's pace as they finally entered the sleeping camp, the sentries startled at the arrival of Lord Von Wincott at such a horrible hour. But their arrival couldn't have been more perfectly timed as from the other direction the first of the fully leaden wagons entered the camp, the guard parting ways with the first few wagons that entered, dismounting as they greeted several of the half bloods that had been roused by the shipment's arrival.

Conrart shed his jacket, sliding the fabric away from his slightly flushed skin and carefully draped it about Yulian's slender shoulders, covering the shirt that the man wore before anyone realised exactly who it originally belonged to. The unfinished conversation hanging heavily in the air between them as he dismounted first, before moving to assist the dark haired demon, steadying him and pressing a hand lightly against the warm shoulder.

Yulian slipped through his grip like water, the smaller man exuding a presence of authority that had grown over the time Conrart had known him, the war having brought for Yulian a sense of purpose and new determination. A hand gripped wayward raven locks and tugged them back, clipping it at the nape of his neck and Conrart could catch a glimpse of the vicious scar that was hidden normally by the messy strands of black, the ragged line of what hadn't quite healed.

His cinnamon eyes couldn't stray far from the man, feeling his heart aching strangely when his hands had been unable to hold the man to him, that whatever they had together was slowly coming to a head. They had had years together, the thought of not having the refuge this man offered, not feeling the slender body press against his own during the night, the soft touches that reminded him he was _good_ enough. _Julia_. She stood between them in his heart. Though... did... could Yulian love him? He had never considered it before, their relationship had been built on a mutual need to have someone, someone to confide in at times... someone there who wouldn't turn either of them away.

As he watched the man's back, Conrart Weller began to realise, he had never considered any possibility that Yulian could love him. It seemed inconceivable that someone would want to... love him. For the most part, he was someone that had trouble expressing his emotions, trying to balance out the intensity of them with his own quiet nature. He... was trapped, without Yulian he was trapped in his own quiet prison, even Julia couldn't reach as far as Yulian at some times.

_'You... are my happiness.' _

A chill swept its way up along his spine, every little hair on his skin stood up and he swore he had gooseflesh springing up, the words echoed in his thoughts, Yulian's voice filling him from the inside out. The dream moving through him, the vague impressions and images blurring, the clarity of it having been lost the moment he had awakened. He wanted to make Yulian happy, to make those particular words true, but...

"Astarte." The noble was smiling, obsidian eyes glittering brightly in the firelight, reaching out to shake the hand of the leader of the guard contingent, squeezing the fingers and being grateful the man would take such good care of the supplies. "You had no problems, I hope?"

"A few unruly bandits, my Lord." His head dipping slightly, his head glancing back towards one of the wagons and his lips pressed together, clearly uncertain whether to request such a thing from his Lord. "Nothing we could not handle." The demon turned his head slightly to one side, studying the man that hovered just behind Yulian, noting with a moment of surprise that the man's hand was curled loosely around the hilt of his sword. Though he had never met this man, he knew without a doubt exactly who this man was, no one at Aschen Castle _didn't_ know about Conrart Weller. "I am also honoured that Lord Weller would greet us with you, my Lord. Many speak highly of him and I can see the rumours are indeed true."

Conrart blinked. Straightening slightly and wishing he knew exactly what that meant, he had never met this man, nor had they been introduced. Why would others be speaking of him?

"Astarte."

Suddenly grinning, the guard was ruffling his fingers back through his light brown hair, messing up the smooth perfection it had been pressed down into by his cap. "I apologise, my Lord, but it cannot be helped. He is as described and well, if rumours can..."

"Don't you start teasing me." Crossing his arms and attempting to look slightly indignant, Yulian couldn't help the smile that caught at the corners of his lips and pulled them upwards, relaxing at the familiarity of the teasing. "And those rumours aren't true."

One brow raised, regarding Conrart with a look that was clearly asking. _'Are you an idiot?'_

"And if any of your men dare to spread those particularly ones in this camp or to anyone... I'll find out exactly who spoke and string them up for Karmina to deal with."

Astarte visible paled at that threat. "My Lord, is that punishment not a little harsh?"

"I doubt it is." But Yulian was laughing, his shoulders relaxing completely and was eternally grateful for the presence of one he knew well, he would be keeping the guards on here near the castle, wanting them close if something did indeed happen in the next few days.

The entire exchange was incredible. Conrart almost knocked over mentally over the fact that there seemed to be no distance between Lord and servant, the two talking as if equals, yet he could see the deep respect in Astarte's eyes and the openness of the man. Astarte stood in a camp full of half breeds as did the other blue and white clad guards and looked as if it didn't bother him at all. There was no other he knew besides possibly Julia that could have ever made a pure blooded demon like Astarte clearly was be so open to others...

"Astarte is my head of guard on my visits to Caloria."

Caloria? Yulian was visiting human country, during the midst of the war? It was insane! Even though Caloria was known to be as peaceful as could be in the current circumstances, it was something he... What right did he have? What honest right did he have to say where this man travelled?

"My Lord, I must ask..." Swallowing slightly, Astarte gestured to the man being lowered from the back of one of the wagons on a stretcher, it was clear that he had been injured during the journey and looked paler than the white blankets tucked tightly around his limbs. "Our medic attended to him, but he is not responding well to treatment and..."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Dark eyes were wide as he was moving past Astarte at the sight of the injured soldier, already calling out for them to bring the wounded man to one of the other tents, Conrart and Astarte falling in behind him. Yulian was already leaning over the fallen soldier, moving with a practiced care as he was attending to the man's wounds, a hand hovering over his chest and the warm flow of magic spread out into a silky blue bubble that flashed and glittered at them both.

A hand caught at Conrart's arm, preventing the soldier from following the man into the healer's tent, the half demon's head lifted so that his gaze met that of the guard. "We need to talk, Lord Weller."

Nodding once, he stepped back, feeling Yozak moving into position to take up guard and watch over Yulian and he willingly stepped away and into the darkness away from the masses of people moving around the laden wagons. His expression was a stoic mask, his shoulders stiff and he took a few more steps into the darker night, though his hand rested lightly against the hilt of his blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

"Will you allow me to speak freely, Lord Weller?"

Conrart Weller was surprised at the show of respect of the other man towards him. "Speak what is on your mind."

"Have you completely lost it, my Lord?" Astarte was practically bristling, his eyes snapping and burning a hole into Conrart with a look that said he wasn't at all happy over something.

"I beg your pardon."

"You. Have you lost your mind? I'm serious about this. You are so _blind _to what is right before you." Arms crossed over the stocky bulk of a well muscled chest, the demon confronted the soldier with the protectiveness that spoke volumes of his absolute loyalty to his Lord. Yulian had earned his loyalty long before and his Lord's wellbeing was paramount to those of Aschen Castle and the surrounding Estates, their Lord had brought true happiness and joy to their people, bringing them a sense of belonging and had worked magic on even those who had questioned the sanity of the Double Black. "The rumours are meant to be true."

"What rumours?"

"That..." Letting out a hissing breath, his gaze moving from Conrart's face to the ground, both fists clenching and he was struggling to get over the lump of fear that stuck inside his chest at the thought of ever speaking behind the back of his Lord. It needed to be said though, after the betrayal of one of Yulian's guards, most had become extremely protective of the young man, fearing that they might lose him if they weren't careful. "That you were our Lord's fiancé, that after the... _incident_ you had... proposed."

The half Demon wanted to openly stare, where had a rumour like that come from? That... these so loyal to Yulian would know of their... private arrangements, that something like this had been conjectured about and clearly accepted as being fact. He was... not someone of Yulian Von Wincott's class.

"Most of us at Aschen Castle know about yourself and Lord Von Wincott or at least what Karmina could pry out of him, she is our head cook and... always knows how to get his Lordship to speak when he is unhappy." Pressing his lips together, he glanced around and his voice dipped a little lower, attempting to keep himself from being overhead. "The rumour to which my Lord was referring to was that you were the greatest swordsman in all of Shin Makoku and had sworn your blade in the service of our Lord and your person as a shield to him. Well... some of the other rumours are more..." Fingers waved slightly, the man looked almost embarrassed. "_Colourful_. I don't think I should mention what a few the maids came up with." Coughing slightly, his face seemed to take on an odd shade of crimson in the darkness.

"What myself and Lord Von Wincott have is not up for personal discussion." Conrart gritted his teeth, feeling suddenly defensive of something he had long thought was completely private, but clearly in the shelter of his lord's home, the knowledge had spread. "We are not..." The thought of marriage was an odd one, what had given someone that idea?

"Well you should be." Astarte hissed slightly in response, dark eyes narrowing on the man before him, clearly not at all pleased that it wasn't true. All of them wanted their Lord to be happy and there was only one source of true happiness in Yulian Von Wincott's life and that was the man before him. "You are all he _talks_ about, but I could tell from your expression that you _don't_ realise exactly what you do have with him."

"I am grateful for his kind words and actions." But his heart... his _rebellious_ heart wanted someone other than Yulian, even though his entire soul was screaming at him, the conflicting feelings waging a full scale ward down inside of him. "But our relationship is not like that. It is... of a mutually beneficial nature."

"So you have no intention of ever..." The guard let out a hoarse little sound, his shoulders drooping slightly and clearly accepting that whatever had been talked about between the maids back home had been nothing more than baseless speculation. He knew what this much be doing to his Lord's heart, it was clear to everyone just how much Conrart Weller meant to him, but the only one that couldn't see it clearly was Conrart himself.

"I want you to consider this, Lord Weller." Astarte shifted back towards the tent, his lips pressed together and regarded the half demon with a long look. "My Lord has greater joy than yourself, not even our people can truly bring happiness to his soul. I ask that you consider your actions carefully from this day. Do not shatter something that..." The guard's head jerked slightly, aware of something and was shoving past Conrart and towards the tent as several of the other guards were doing, responding silently.

Conrart was instantly moving with the man, his hand curled around the hilt of his sword at the first sign of trouble, his heart finding its way into his mouth as he froze in the open flap of the healer's tent. Four guards were already kneeling at Yulian's feet, all of them with bowed heads, though each seemed quite aware that their Lord was swaying dangerously on his feet, having expended quite a bit of energy on healing the injured guard that had been brought in.

"My Lord." The soldier was moving forwards, ready to reach out and steady the swaying frame, lift the man off his feet and take him back to the castle or to Julia.

"I am fine, Conrart."

The half demon froze, his face actually registering the tone and his heart dropped like a stone in his chest as it was Astarte that moved to steady the Lord. The brown-haired demon giving Conrart a look that was just as questioning. Something was going on and Conrart knew it wasn't good. Was Yulian trying to distance himself?

Ignoring the words, he was stepping past one of the kneeling guards, his one hands reaching out towards the man, catching the slender shoulders, his frame shifting and forcing Astarte to literally step away or be physically pushed. A hand tangled in the warm, silky soft strands of raven, his palm pressing against the nape of Yulian's neck, his other hand nudging the smaller man into the curve of his body. Tucking the man in close, he cradled him like that, a little stiff but refusing to allow the smaller man to pull away, waiting until hands bunched into the back of his shirt and he felt the hot tears soaking into the fabric of his collar.

"Con..." The word came out in a rush, Yulian trying desperately to stop the tears that had started, embarrassed to be caught before so many in such a state. "Con... they..." Fingers twisted sharply in the fabric, knotting it and barely being able to keep himself standing.

"What is it?" His voice was whisper soft against Yulian's ear as he turned them both presenting his back to the guards and Astarte, his arm sliding around the slender waist, tightening his grip and making sure no one saw any of the hot tears he could feel burning his skin. It tore at his heart to see Yulian's tears, to feel the ripple of silent sobs tear through the exhausted body. "What is it that has you crying, my Lord?"

"They... they attacked Caloria."

Caloria was the ancient home of the Von Wincott family, a neighbour to Yulian's own lands. It was a small quiet nation, one that had some strategic value, but was not one for war. Conrart knew from the statement earlier, Yulian had been visiting Caloria. If he knew the man as he did, the demon had been attempting to forge a peace of a kind, something to prevent both lands from ending up fighting.

"Arland... was killed. They slaughtered him... his son... Norman fled to Aschen Castle, I just received Norman's letter. How could they? How... how could they murder a man like Arland?"

Sobbing even harder over the death of a human, Conrart's heart twisted hard in his chest at the sounds, his soul screaming out for revenge against those who had done such a thing and harmed the one he... Forcing that thought away, he was just holding the man, not trying to do anything else but hold the trembling form close to his body, knowing Yulian needed to let all the tears out right here. Though, he knew what others would say if they saw a Double Black demon like Yulian weeping over the death of a human.

"Norman is barely ten! A _child_! They killed his father right before his eyes and Small Cimaron is attempting to sake its claim." His shoulders quivered again, a rage flaring through him so that even in the weakened state he had been left in through the healing session, the blue flash of energy crackled and leapt around his body. Conrart however, didn't let go, not even when the guards shifted back warily at the brilliant flares of magic that coiled restlessly in the air. "Caloria has done _nothing_ to warrant such an attack! They merely wanted to keep peace within their borders."

What could he do? If he did go to Caloria's defence... move his own troops in to defend a country he had come to think of in such... Stoffel would brand him a traitor for going to protect humans, Geigen Huber would _win_. What would Odell say? What would happen to his own lands? He could not... abandon Caloria... he could not... go against his nature... but what would be the cost of such an action?

There was only one action he could take. He would not let Caloria suffer, he had been unable to act before.

"Astarte."

The guard jerked, saluting instantly at the sound of his name. "My Lord?"

"I need you to take this to Odell Wincott." His fingers curled around something that hung at his neck, his fingers closing around the warm weight of the ring, sliding the chain up and over his head before handing it out to Astarte.

Every guard froze as they saw the signet ring glint in the firelight, all knowing what that action meant. Conrart's hand curled lightly about the man's forearm before he could place it in the demon's hands. "Yulian..."

"No. Conrart, I _have_ to. I can no longer stand by and allow such madness to continue. Arland Gilbert was my _friend_, a man that had protected his people and been at peace with those who neighboured his lands. His death will not go unanswered, the attack on his people will not go without justice being done. Small Cimaron is making a play for lands that do not belong to them with the support of Big Cimaron. Caloria was once the homeland of my family. I for one am not willing to abandon it." His fingers placed the ring into Astarte's hand, giving up what had been his parents, returning it to the power of the head of his family, Odell Von Wincott, his adoptive uncle. "Return this to Odell Von Wincott and ask him to guard the child, Norman Gilbert while I cannot... Ask him... to be as kind to my people as he is to those he commands."

Conrart was suddenly torn, his heart throbbing wildly as everything just went from bad to worse. His gaze lifted from the top of Yulian's dark head to gaze at Yozak who stood in shadows, their eyes meeting for a moment.

"Captain?"

"I am going with you." Yulian had done everything for them, had protected them and given them arms and supplies to see them through, but now was a time to make a stand against those who had take what did not belong. The Demon Tribe had been one to help set off this War, Stoffel and others... wanting to fight, wanting the victory and glory, others had gotten caught in between, those who could not protect themselves adequately against such large forces. The War had to stop.

"Con...?" Large obsidian eyes still swimming with angry tears lifted to look at him. "You... you know... what will happen..." They would be called traitors, deserters for running to human lands. "They... you can't. Conrart. You cannot do this... what... what will...?"

Cinnamon eyes closed for a moment and he let out a quiet breath, his grip on Yulian tightening, his arm hugging the slender man to him tightly. "You have never turned your back on us, you have always offered me... acceptance when no other would." Except for Julia, she had... not cared about his human blood. "I failed to protect you once." His palm pressed lightly over where he knew the scar ran across the warm expanse of Yulian's back. "I will not fail again."

"I'm with you all the way, Captain." Grinning at Yulian, Yozak winked and actually saluted. Blue eyes steadily watched the two men together, knowing that hopefully they would be able to work this out.

"Thankyou... both of you."

* * *

"I did not think... this would happen." Sleepy, his head actually rested back against Conrart's shoulder, his entire body quite willing to sag back into the warmth of the strong one behind him. Sunlight streamed down across the forest path, no one commented on the fact that his horse had been abandoned in favour of riding with Conrart, the sleepless morning hours had left him entirely drained. The sounds of others around them had made him stir, armed men, soldiers, half-demons and his own demon forces were moving together, and somewhere in back a carriage followed amongst the wagons and the protective column of guards. "I... I did not think... so many would follow me."

"You have earned their loyalty, my Lord." Conrart leaned his head down, his chin resting softly on top of the raven black mane that tickled slightly against his throat. "All of us came willingly, we are still serving in a capacity for Shin Makoku, protecting the Eastern Borders." His head twisted slightly, catching the blue and white banners that fluttered in the crisp morning air, they served under a noble, they of the Lutenberg Division would do battle to protect those who were out-numbered. "You care for them, for those who are met only with suspicion and hateful words. You are allowing them to fight for Shin Makoku and also for themselves, for the humans exiles that are waiting to join us nearer the border."

"You... should be with Julia." Yulian swallowed hard, knowing that in the carriage was both Julia and Gisela, neither woman had wanted to remain behind when they heard of the horrors reported back about Caloria. When the news finally reached the ears of Stoffel, Gwendal, Gunter and Adalbert, there would be quite an uproar about such a thing happening. "She... will need you to..."

"You need me."

Yulian blinked at that, head twisting up and trying to get a good look into those cinnamon eyes, wanting to see the emotions reflected there. However, their position on the horse made it next to impossible, his entire body shivering when the man's head dipped down and lips scooted along beneath his ear, touching the bottom of the long scar. A startled little noise slipped from between his lips at the intimate contact, his entire body freezing in place.

"Rest, Yuu. Let me... take care of you, like you have been me for so many years." Conrart was shifting on the saddle, drawing the slender body as close as possible to his own, all his senses burned with the thought that Yulian was right there in his arms. Though he still could not quite shake the feeling that pervaded his very bones that he needed to guard Yulian carefully. _He had failed._ The thought would not leave him, the knowledge that he had failed to protect the one who had provided such comfort to him at the expense at times of his own.

_"YOUR MAJESTY!" _

_The sound of horses coming towards them made the man stir slightly, his dark eyes slowly beginning to flutter open at the familiar voice. Though he could not bring himself to lift his head, feeling the silk shirt beneath his cheek, inhaling the scent of Conrart on the fabric. Fingers clenched sharply in the edge of it, dragging himself forwards, his entire body throbbing with raw agony as the dagger sticking out of his back slashed at sensitive flesh as muscles tightened and clamped together around it. _

_The images of Conrart filled his vision, the sensation of strong arms holding him close, the voice choked with anguish and fear. A man... that had once been. But his Conrart was still beneath him, the body slowly beginning to cool in the chilled night air, the blood pooling around the still form. Hands lifted, trying to call on what magic he had remaining, desperate to draw together the last of his strength to try and pull his beloved back from the other side, drag the soul back to the body. _

_"You can't leave me." He hissed out, black eyes misting over with his own tears this time, head leaning down so that their foreheads touched as he tried to use his own body to protect that of his fallen soldier. "You promised." The bubble of healing energy flickered dimly between them, bursting apart with each attempt, his own life blood flowing out of him to mingle with that of his protector. "Love... please..." _

_Pressing his cheek against one broad shoulder, his mouth touched lightly against the curve of that throat, desperate to feel the throb of that heart... desperate for any sign of life from the only one that had ever stolen his entire heart. They had both been exhausted, worn and happy just to be going home, the promise of a warm meal back at the Castle was too much for Yuuri to resist and he had pleaded... and Conrart had just smiled at him. That warm welcoming smile that filled those cinnamon eyes and lit up Conrart's entire soul from the inside out, simply pleased to have Yuuri by his side. _

_Conrart was slipping. The brilliant soul sliding out from Yuuri's grip, though he could feel Conrart's resistance, the struggle of the soul to remain in a body that had already given up the fight. _

_"Your Majesty!" It was practically a wail, Gunter was beside Gwendal, both of them throwing themselves almost literally off the backs of the horses that had come down the road from the City. _

'Yuu...?'_ A quiet whisper in his mind, a soft sound of raw pain, the soul barely able to hold itself there, fighting the draw of some distant power. _

_"By Shinou..." Gwendal jerked hard to a stop, staring down at the pair, his dark blue gaze settling onto the hilt of the dagger that had been thrust into their Maou's back. _

Cinnamon eyes closed tightly, knowing that it had not been his own memory, the ones that filled his dreams were a mix of his own and 'Yuuri's', a face he knew as Yulian Von Wincott's. The knowledge that he had failed to protect his Maou, to protect his beloved, his... It was a surge that slammed right into his gut, mingling with everything else inside of him and almost spilling over onto his face. The looks on Gunter and Gwendal's faces, he had never seen such horror.

It was hard to see himself like that, older, a little more scarred, but in the lifeless face he had seen the marks of happiness, the sounds of that voice, calling him back, trying to drag him back from the darkness once more. Sliding the long mass of Yulian's hair down over one shoulder, he leaned in, his mouth touching against the nape of the man's neck, brushing his lips over the soft skin, feeling a shiver ripple through the slender body in his arms at the contact. He was not one that usually initiated their physical displays of affection, but he wanted to push the nightmare away, shove it so far that he couldn't see the faces and blood.

"Conrart." It was a sleepy little groan, lips parting as obsidian eyes drifted closed at the feeling, entire body shuddering with the sensation that jolted through him. Others could see them... it was out in public and he definitely didn't want Conrart to stop. "What... has gotten into you, Con?" Another breathless sound escaped him when teeth caught the lob of his ear, tugging slightly, cheeks brushing slightly, rough against silky smooth. This was unlike his Conrart, but he had to admit he _loved_ it.

"I am distracting you." One chocolate brow lifted slightly in amused question, cinnamon eyes warming instantly when their gazes met. "And myself."

"The... visions?"

"Yes."

"That was what disturbed you so much last night..." Yulian sighed softly, his hands lightly caressing over the back of Conrart's palms, fingers meshing together for a moment. "I thought... they had stopped, that it was... just nightmares now." Lips pressing together, he was completely pliant in the man's arms. "You should have said something..."

"I... am deeply troubled by them."

"What do you see?"

"Death... loneliness..." Shaking his head slightly, he allowed his body to practically consume the smaller one curled against his own, his cloak was drawn up around the lithe form. His face was pressed in against the mass of dark strands, inhaling deeply and allowing the warmth to flood through him at the contact. There was nothing that could quite compare to the feeling of the slender body curled against his own. "Happiness. Not all were bad... some visions..." A hot flush of desire swamped him, completely out of character at the remembrance of a slender body sprawled out beneath his own, writhing with pleasure, screaming his name for all to hear.

Yulian squirmed back against the solid frame behind him, suddenly aware of something pressed squarely against his rear. His lips formed a perfectly little 'O', obsidian eyes abruptly grew dark at the response in the soldier's body. It was rare that he caught Conrart like that, the man had a phenomenal control over his body. The rules of their relationship as it was had stopped them from ever... he had wanted that with Conrart, wanted more than just gentle touches. He wanted to be kissed, to know what it was like to be utterly possessed by this man. But Conrart had wanted Julia and she stood between them both, Conrart's love for her burning in his heart. It was as if... his future self had come back, dumping feelings and emotions into him that raged at him ever time he thought of Julia. Their relationship was unpredictable and wild at times, the rules being pushed.

"Is that one for me?"

"Mmh." Heavy lids dipped, Conrart muffling his response against Yulian's hair, finding the play of strands against his slightly stubble roughened jaw fascinating.

"Julia will know..."

"About?"

"Us."

"I want you." How could he say such a thing right there? The situation was insane, Yulian had taken an entire Division to aid a human country without a word to anyone. Julia and Gisela had both left without word to anyone as well. Julia refusing to be left behind knowing that both Conrart and Yulian were heading into trouble.

"Oh... in Shinou's name... would you... stop that..." His voice was breathless, his entire body shuddering as those lips did rather intimate things to his ear, Conrart's hair falling in the way to prevent anyone from seeing. The Double Black was practically on fire, his entire body throbbed in response to the contact with his lover, the hard evidence of Conrart's emotional state was pressed hard against him.

"Call a halt, Yozak." Pulling hard on the reins of his horse, he was bringing the animal around, heels digging into the creature's sides, keeping them both on the large mount. "Let the men rest for half an hour and water the horses."

"Captain." Those blue eyes were blazing with intense amusement at the suddenly riled state of Conrart and the strangely blushing Yulian.

The horse broke the line, heading for the river and scattering a few of the troops as they moved. Conrart ignoring everything as they plunged from the grassy bank into the cold water, that sprayed upwards across the horse's legs and their own, soaking the fabric as the creature waded across the clear creek and up onto the other side.

All sleep was pushed from Yulian's mind at the sudden action, something was going on. The moment the horse stopped he was sliding off the back of the horse, staggering backwards, tripping once on a protruding rock hidden amongst the thick clumps of wild grass that sprang up around the banks. Flailing for a moment, he was unbalanced as he went down hard, almost yelping as he ended up sprawled over the cool grass staring up Conrart with wide eyes.

"What... what is it?"

The man was down on his knees, his eyes blazing with _something_ that sent hot aching jolts washing through them. The emotional turmoil send his head spinning, temples throbbing as his body made ferocious demands on him. "_Yuuri_."

Yulian froze, sprawled on the grass, trying to prop himself up on his elbows as he gazed into eyes that were not quite the ones he knew, these ones glittered with a thousand captured silver stars that danced and glinted like flecks of steel. "Conrart." Something was going on and he didn't quite know exactly what it was. "Conrart... what is it?"

* * *

**Hehe XD my brain is crazy! I just feel sorry for poor Conrart, his brain is probably like BOOOOOOOOOM! by now XD something is going on for him D I just don't know what quite yet. **


	2. Part 2: Lutenberg

**Author's Note: XD Just a quick explanation. XD There are two distinct 'mirror' verses. The one from the first part which contained Conrart's soul and the 'healer' side of Yuuri (which was contained in one of the fragments that fell into the timestream) and the Battle Of Lutenberg universe where Yuuri's soul was, which contained the 'warrior' part of him. The time frame for both is approximately 12 hours XD so that when the two universes are put together its about a 'day'. XD (this will make sense) I just couldn't help but merge this idea with the first. I just XD liked it too much!**

**Disclaimer: own nothing! XD LOOOOOOOOOL **

**Please review! ^_^**

* * *

Obsidian eyes flickered from the handsome face and swept down over the length of Conrart's body, swallowing hard at the clear physical reaction the other man had had to him. This was the first time that his lover had ever shown such an interest. He sat there, vulnerable and shaking a little with confusion and the burning hot jolt of desire coiling through him. "Conrart?" He questioned softly, head tipping to the side slightly, trying to understand what had gotten into the man.

"Yuuri." Lips parted and curved upwards into a soft little smile that lit even those beautiful eyes, the man's face practically _changing_ for a moment, love and heated desire glowed from within that all seeing gaze.

Yulian jolted back, his entire body shuddering slightly, trying to work out exactly what to make of this having never seen that expression directed at him before. "That isn't my name." The wild mass of raven swung back and forth against his back, tendrils of raven sweeping down over his forehead and across dark eyes. Swallowing hard, his fingers curled deeply into the grass, trying to hold himself still, desperately trying to make sense of Conrart's actions. It was as if... there were two people trapped within the one body, this... stranger and his quiet Conrart.

Brows came together, confusion mixing with the other reactions, lines of concentration made Conrart look for a moment like Gwendal, the expression almost identical. It was interesting to think just how much like his brothers Conrart actually was, a mix of Gwendal's instilled calm and Wolfram's blazing recklessness and passion. Though they looked nothing alike physically, there were small things that really did show the blood ties between them.

"Conrart... what's going on?" Finally pushing himself into a sitting position, he tipped his head slightly, wishing everything was clear to him. "I've... never seen you like this." And he truly hadn't, not the man that had openly looked at him with love reflected in his eyes for the world to see. "Should... I go and get Julia?"

"Julia?" Brown eyes drifted half closed, one large hand coming to touch his temple at the sound of her name, his head shaking just a little in an attempt to push away something that hovered just beneath the surface. "Suzanna Julia is... dead."

"What?" Scrambling to his feet, he was staggering slightly towards the man, his hand reaching out towards Conrart, sliding up along the stubbed jaw, caressing lightly, drawing that head down slightly, attempting to get a feel for himself what was happening. However, his tiredness from the night before blurred his first 'scan', his mouth opening for a moment, quite ready to ask again, but stopped.

A hand cupped the back of his neck lightly, fingertips teasing the tiny little strands just there, thumb dipping below the edge of his collar, playing across the skin tenderly. The calloused fingers leaving burning hot trails over his skin.

The actions were so entrancing his mouth flopped open having wanted to say something, but nothing except a soft little whimper escaped him.

"I love you, Yuu."

Before Yulian could say anything in response to those words, his mouth was being devoured. It one heated rush, Yulian's knees almost bucked out from under him, his fingers curled desperately in Conrart's shirt, until an arm wrapped around the back of his thighs, lifting him with ease until he was flush against the larger body. Head dropping back, his lips parted even more in invitation, a tongue slipping inside to taste him, swallow any sound he made as his hands lifted from the blue fabric and fisted in Conrart's hair, unable to pull back from something he had been longing for.

"Why does it feel... as if you... have never heard me say such things?" The questioning words were breathed against his kiss-bruised lips, that voice a silken purr that would have melted any heart. "As if I had never kissed you?"

Wide obsidian eyes started upwards, barely being able to breath with the need to cling to his lover, bury his face against that warm throat and sob out his raging emotions. "Its because you haven't." His heart was in his throat, as well as the burning black bubble of raw jealousy that had lurked for so long inside of him. "In all the time we have been together, you have never done such things."

"How... can that be?" Soft kisses were brushed across Yulian's eyelids, tender and loving, catching any tears before they could fall. "How could I do such a thing when you mean everything to me?"

And the dark haired demon did find himself crying, great sobs welling up from somewhere deep inside of him, overflowing and the tears managed to slip past the lap of that tongue and stroke of that knowing mouth. "How can you say it now?" His fist pounded against the solid wall of muscles, the action not even making Conrart flinch as his chest heaved and he vented all the frustration from over the years into that moment. "How can you stand there and say you love me?"

Conrart was almost knocked back by that, his mouth opening and words refused to come out even though they clearly wanted to.

"Captain?" Yozak was standing amongst the trees, his fingers curled around the halter of Conrart's horse, holding the creature still as he gazed over the two men.

"You haven't call me that in a while, Yozak." His brown eyes warmed visibly, lips curving upwards into a welcoming smile, one that knew none of the dark shadows of their current lives. Here was a man who had found some great peace in his life, something that swept every touch of darkness away.

"Your Excellency?" The amber haired half-demon turned his attention towards the crying noble, his gaze turning back towards Conrart almost accusingly. "Are you hurt? Has the Captain...?"

Managing to get out of the warm arms, he was staggering backwards, his shoulders shaking with confusion and disbelief, his fingers touching his lips lightly, still feeling the heat of the other man's mouth against his own. The taste of Conrart still remained, hot and sweet, like melted sugar and something... so addictive he wanted nothing more than to go back for a second taste.

"He's not himself." Yulian was covering his mouth, attempting to muffle his sobs, desperate to stop the sounds that were physically wrenched from his throat by his own inner pain. "He's... been suffering visions. Ones... that would disturb his sleep..." Shaking his head, he stumbled backwards away from Conrart towards Yozak, desperate to sort out exactly what was going on.

"Yuuri?" Conrart was reaching out for the trembling man, instantly wishing to sooth the agony that radiated from his beloved, his entire body shuddering. "Yuuri? What..." Hissing with a touch of pain, his hand pressed against his forehead, entire body stiffening slightly, clearly attempting to work out everything that was being said around him.

"Julia!" The Double Black was swallowing hard, watching the woman slowly move with the help of one of the soldiers towards them, her sightless eyes a pair of deep liquid pools.

"Sir Weller? Yulian?" Her free hand reached out towards them, begging for one of them to reach out to her, so that she could find them in the deep shade of the forest.

Conrart turned, brown eyes settling on the face of Suzanna Julia Von Wincott and froze, his entire face going dead pale for a moment before his knees began to buckle.

"CONRART!" Yulian's scream was the last thing the man heard as his knees gave out completely beneath him as the blackness swallowed his vision and he dropped into nothingness.

And the reflection of them in the water of the river was shattered by the hooves of horses carrying mounted men towards them.

* * *

A soft groan escaped dried, slightly cracked lips, a chest heaving with the first deep breath of wakefulness, brown eyes blinking once against the cloud of black dots that danced before his eyes. His lips parted as he tried to talk, nothing but a hoarse croak escaped him as everything inside of him burned and ached. Dot by dot his vision began to clear, his head twisting slightly to gaze at the grey haired Demon that sat in the chair beside his bed, the deep blue eyes lifting to meet his from where they had been studying the words on the pages of a book tucked in one large hand.

"...Gwen...dal..." Conrart barely got out his brother's name, before he wanted to cough, his dry throat raw from making any kind of sound.

"I see you finally decided to grace the world of the conscious with your presence." Lips pressed together in a firm line, closing the book and setting it onto a nearby table, his body shifting in the chair, shoulders drooping and the weight of so many emotions washed across the man's face.

"What... happened?" A thousand memories seemed to cram into his head, making it throb in time with his stuttering heart, his fingers clenched into the fabric of the sheet beneath his touch, his entire body shivering slightly. Everything within him was screaming in pain, his heart barely able to continue to beat inside of his chest, it literally felt like someone had reached inside of him and torn out his heart. "Where's Yuuri?"

"I..." Gwendal pressed fingers over his left eye, thumb rubbing at his aching temples and wishing he knew exactly how to explain to his brother what had occurred, even to him it seemed extremely unbelievable. "He is not at the castle, Brother."

Knuckles going white where they clenched in the sheets, his entire body shuddered as he attempted to force it to respond to him, to his commands. He had to get to Yuuri, even though his last memories were of a cold night riding with Yuuri back towards Covenant Castle, he couldn't seem to be able to draw up what had happened after that, nothing more than a swarming darkness that had curled around his very soul and attempted to tear him away.

"Where... is he?"

"_Conrart_." A heavy hand splayed across Conrart's chest, pushing him back down onto the mattress, his lips pressing together sharply, though the palm that pressed over the broad expanse of fabric covered muscle rubbed once, coming to rest over Conrart's heart. Gwendal swallowed roughly at the sensation, with the knowledge that that this shouldn't be, _couldn't_ be. "You will remain in this bed until Gisela clears you."

"Gwen." Conrart bit out, his cinnamon eyes narrowing squarely on his brother, jaw gritting tightly and clearly not about to back down on the issue. "Where is Yuuri? Why will you not tell me?"

"Right now, you need to concentrate..."

"Answer me." Fire snapped in those brown eyes, the sharp glitter of steel reflected in their depths, the silver stars flashing dangerously, warning that no matter what state he was in, even Gwendal was not safe from the fiery fury that could rage so easily inside of Conrart.

It had been quite a long time since the oldest of the brothers had seen the fire like that in Conrart's eyes, the years having softened the gaze, the peace of their world offering the soldier a chance to relax, to truly enjoy the life he had with the Maou. This was the Lion of Lutenberg, the blade that defended the Maou. He was glad to see the fire return, glad to see the man, his heart warmed to know that this man was back in the world. "Physically, the Maou is here." A finger gestured towards another of the rooms, Gisela deciding it was best to keep the two apart until they could work out exactly what Conrart Weller remembered. "It is his soul that is... gone."

"How?"

"We... I failed, my Brother, to keep my vow to you." Fingers continued to rubbed hard at Gwendal's temples, wishing he could remove the horrible ache there. "The Great Sage allowed him use of the Demon Mirror."

"Why would... Yuuri wish to use something like that?"

"He wished to see you once more." Long strands of silky grey drifted down across over deep blue eyes, ones that held so much regret within their depths. "I was away on official duties in my own territories when news came to me of his Majesty's actions."

"But... I am here...?" His hand pressed against his chest, clutching over it as his entire body shivered with the weakness that flowed over him.

"You... were not, Conrart. you died well over six months ago."

"Brother, I am quite alive as you can see."

"Yes. I can see that." Cerulean met cinnamon steel for a moment, before dropping down to his own hands, unable to meet the questioning gaze of his brother. He had sworn to protect Yuuri should anything happen to Conrart and he had failed in his mission to do so. "We still do not quite know how that occurred."

"Yuuri." Everything ached, his head throbbing slightly with all the sensations that ran through him. "I just know... he came looking for me. I just... I can't..." The swarm of memories came rushing back, a tangle of so many different variations on what he knew to be his own life. The feeling of his soul being called back, Yuuri attempting to gain a grip on it and pull it back to where it belonged. "Why... do I remember... an entirely different life?" His brows came together, his entire body shuddering with the raging sensations within him. "Or at least, an entirely different set of... events... Caloria..." The face of Yulian Von Wincott, a man that had never existed, but had been created when Yuuri joined that timeline. The memory of Yuuri Shibuya in the mirror, the voice of the man he loved, speaking words of love to him. And there was a third in there... Three times Yuuri had come to him.

"The Great Sage said that he was intending to go to just before the Battle of Lutenberg."

"I... I remember." Shaking his head slightly, his hand lifted, finding that his wedding band was missing from his finger, his other fingers lifting to touch the mark resting around his ring finger, the paler skin. It felt wrong, wrong without the familiar weight of the ring around his finger. "My ring..."

"His Majesty has it."

"Where did you find me? What...?"

"We found you outside in the forest, I can say the maid Doria may never recover from the shock." Everyone in Covenant Castle had been thrown hard by the sudden appearance of Conrart barely alive and out there in the forest just out beyond the winding creek that many of the servants went to on their days off to enjoy some quite away from the hectic nature of their lives at the Castle. Both Gwendal and Wolfram had been unable to pry themselves away from their brother, their mother already heading back towards them as quickly as possible at the news that had spread throughout Shin Makoku.

However, the knowledge that the Maou was 'gone', was still not common knowledge and hopefully they could keep it that way until they could work out exactly how to bring Yuuri back from wherever it was his spirit had gone.

"I have no idea... what happened... I don't know..." His hand pressed against his forehead lightly, his entire body shuddering with the emotions that raged through him knowing that Yuuri had gone to such length to find him.

"What do you remember, Brother? There maybe a chance we can find him, Wolfram has tried, but maybe now that you are once again with us, you can call him back."

His head turned slightly and he caught his own reflection in the mirror, his heart throbbing painfully at the thought that Yuuri was somewhere out there, beyond his reach.

* * *

"You would deny me _this_?" The sharp words pierced the darkness, obsidian eyes ice cold and narrowed on the form of Murata, watching the other man shift ever so slightly and regard him with that same inscrutable look from behind the glare of light striking glass.

"Shibuya." The taller man stretched himself as he shifted from where he had been lazily leaning against the cool stone, lips pressing together in concentration as he studied the face of the Maou. "You can't mess with this."

"And _he_ is allowed to?" The thin raven-haired man snarled the words, dark eyes flashing with such anger that even Murata took a step back, the fine hairs at that back of his neck prickle at the stare levelled at him. Yuuri Shibuya was a dangerous man, no one could ever describe him as anything less than the demon that he was. The faint azure radiance spread out from cold, deathly white skin, illuminating the candle-lit tomb and the few treasured items that had been brought there over the decades.

"It was different with that..." A finger pushed the glasses up, pressing them firmly into place and shifting his weight slightly, knowing that this time, he would not win the argument. In this, he would not be able to convince the Maou to change his mind. "You and I both know why you were given that particular glimpse of the past, it needed to happen for you to be here."

"_He_ meddled." Shinou had indeed meddled, tampering with things and thrusting Yuuri into a situation he had not been prepared for. He had been cast back to that day to meet Suzanna Julia Von Wincott, to convince her to give up her life in service to the people to allow Yuuri to be born. It had not been fair. It had not been _fair_ to so many to lose that one precious life for his sake. "Why am I to be denied the one thing that would bring me solace?"

"We both know what would happen, Yuuri, if you saw him. If you _touched_ him. Can you honestly let go again if you did?"

A snarl of anger was torn from between clenched teeth. A white hot burning fury that was so unnatural for Yuuri Shibuya until these last few months. "I have done all that has ever been asked of me." Hands clenched hard, nails digging into his palms, almost drawing blood to the surface. "I fulfilled every desire Shinou had, I did as I promised my people." His chin jerked sharply to their surroundings, attempting to indicate the lands that stretched out beyond the walls of Shinou's Tomb. "There is peace."

"Yuuri, we care deeply for you. His loss hit everyone hard." Including himself, the missing brightness of Conrart Weller stung like a wound that wouldn't heal in even Murata's heart. "But you have to let him go. We all worry for you..."

"It tore out my _heart_." A single tear streaked down over ivory white cheeks, dripping from the slender jaw and down onto the ground, staining the dark stone a deep black before seeping away as if it hadn't been. "My very soul."

"Yuuri."

"No!" Several drops followed the first, splashes of crimson from the deep crescent shaped cuts slashed into calloused palms, hands clenching so hard they had drawn blood. "There is no happiness for me. There is no joy, no laughter. Nothing can be said to ease the shadows cast upon me. I need this." One step forwards, the blue glow radiating outwards in sweeping coils, serpents slithering across the stone and hissing a threat at Ken Murata. "I need one day with him."

"Your Majesty!" It was practically a wail, high pitched and piercing the darkness like a knife, the lavender-haired demon stood in the doorway, shaking like a life and was soaked completely through, long locks clinging to damp skin and shoulders as Gunter staggered forwards into the large space, a hand reaching out towards the Maou. "Please..."

"Do not question me."

Gunter jerked back, his bright eyes wide in his pale face, looking as if he had suddenly been slapped. The words were dark, pulsing with anger and so much emotion it almost staggered the King's Aide. "Your Majesty."

"I will not be denied."

"Consider your actions." Murata remarked quietly, moving to stand before the object that so held the Maou's attention, placing himself between the two and wishing that the Demon Mirror had been destroyed in the intervening years. "Consider what will become of the people if they hear that you are no longer with us. You are the _heart_ _and_ _soul_ of this Kingdom, Shibuya. Consider the consequences."

"I have considered all."

Gunter was moving forwards slowly, a trail of water following him from the doorway, his hands trembling with the knowledge that they were close to loosing the one person that had brought them happiness, who had changed the world for them and made everything _right_. He needed Gwendal and Wolfram... even Yozak... but all were away on business, leaving no one but himself and the allusive Great Sage to keep Yuuri distracted, to help ease the heavy burden that rested squarely across the man's shoulders. The burden of pain and a soul deep sorrow that nothing had yet been able to relieve for long.

"This will not bring him back, Yuuri. It is only a mirror, one that allows you to see the past or future." His hands lifted the white and blue ceramic bowl from its resting place, sliding his fingers along one edge and feeling the tingle of power weaved into the very clay it had been constructed of. It was responding to Yuuri's call, vibrating ever so slightly against his fingertips. "You cannot change what has already happened."

"Don't you think I know that?" The breath caught in his throat, choking him and another tear joined the first, shoulders shaking with the force of his emotions. "Don't you think... I know... I will never have him back in my arms? That every day I wake up... and _he's not there_." Sorrow poured out of Yuuri, his entire form quivering with the first true display of his deep anguish that most had seen out of him in a long time. "I find myself turning to say something to him... jokes, thoughts... anything and remember _he's not there_... that he'll never be at my side again."

"Conrart was..."

"**Everything**." Yuuri snapped the word before Gunter could say more, advancing a few more paces towards Murata, dark eyes narrowing on the bowl that rested between the Sage's hands. All it would take for the other man was for him to drop it, to send the fragile ceramic smashing against the time worn stones of the Tomb's floor to rid them all of the threat that would take away their king. "He cannot be replaced."

"We would never consider attempting to..." Gunter was struggling as much as Murata, Yuuri was usually quite reasonable but this time he wasn't. Their Maou was like a bottled storm, captured and imprisoned and ready to burst out at any moment with explosive results.

"I married him." He remembered that day, remembered the loud and almost outrageous ceremony that Gunter and Lady Celi had designed together for the marriage of Yuuri Shibuya to Conrart Weller. What he remembered most was the private moment stolen just before the vows, Conrart's arms wrapping around him, drawing him close and away from the prying eyes of the guests who hovered in the hallways, lips teasing his ear as he heard the soft laugh, the tease of heated breath over the curve of his jaw. _'Should we have eloped?'_ The whispered words made Yuuri laugh as well, both of them curled together amongst the flowers that reached from floor to ceiling along one of the corridors. In that moment he had known what happiness truly was, _Conrart_.

His hand lifted upwards, lightly brushing over the ring that hung beneath the collar of his formal jacket, palm rubbing the weight of it so that it pressed into his skin, the slide familiar. The feeling of hands sliding over him, beneath the edge of his shirt, the brush of that same ring over smooth white skin in an intimate caress. His own ring caught slightly in the fabric, the glitter of gold and bronze flashing in the candle light, the twinned strands wrapping around his finger, the warmth of it against his skin something that soothed him even for a moment.

The bowl was held tightly for a moment, Murata swallowing around a lump in his own throat, his own dark eyes sweeping over the painfully thin form of his friend. Yuuri was wasting away, nothing they tried had eased that suffering that followed the man everywhere since the death of Conrart Weller at the hands of an assassin. Gwendal had hunted for the murderer, still was... the grey haired demon hunting tirelessly to find the one responsible for the death of one so precious and vital to so many.

Studying the object in his hands, he returned his gaze to Yuuri. Could this... save Yuuri? Could one glance back into the past, one more day with Conrart bring their Maou back to them? It was a desperate hope. One desperate hope that just maybe it would be enough.

"No." The Aide whispered quietly, horror lighting the rain-soaked features, Gunter shaking his head once. This would solve nothing. "Your Excellency... please... I beg of you..."

"Murata." A hand stretched out towards his friend, obsidian meeting worried midnight black, a thought leaping across the space between them. "Ken."

_'I cannot hold on anymore.' _

And the bowl was being offered up to the Maou, one arm stretching out to place it within reach. A hand instantly closing around the edge of it, tipping the rim down, anguished black eyes staring into the depths of it, the brilliant flash of blue spilling out into the space, blinding them all for a moment.

"_Thankyou_."

Gunter jerked hard, his entire frame vibrating with surprise and terror, his worst fears confirmed a moment later when there was a heavy 'thump' as the black clad body dropped to the ground, face hidden by the wild mass of black locks that framed the ivory face. The Aide bolted forwards, diving for the ground and lifting the fallen body of the Maou upwards, cradling the dark head and staring down into the empty eyes that greeted him.

"What have you done?" Lavender eyes stared upwards at Ken Murata, piercing him right to his core. "What have you done?"

"There was no choice." Murata choked back a sound that stuck in his throat, his dark eyes turning away, tucking the bowl against his chest in one arm, unable to look at the too still body of the Maou. "There was no more options."

"There is always a choice!"

"Not for, Yuuri. Not for any of us."

"What now?" Gunter tucked the dark head against his shoulder, his other arm sweeping under the knees of his Maou, lifting the young man and almost wept at the insubstantiality of his body. There was barely anything left to their Lord, barely anything but skin and bones. Without Conrart, Yuuri had withdrawn, wasting away...

"We can only wait, Gunter. We can only more forwards."

"What if... he does not come back?"

"Lord Von Kleist, I think this time... we need to let him go."

Denial flared in lavender eyes, the man staring openly at the Sage. "What do you mean 'let him go'?"

"We have asked more than what should have been asked of him. He has _righted_ the world. He has selflessly sacrificed everything for everyone else's happiness." Murata wished he could change it, change what he knew would come. Yuuri was gone and _he was not coming back_. His heart ached, tears burning just behind his eyes, searing deeply into his soul. "Should we deny him happiness? Are we... so selfish to take this from him? Take... Lord Weller from him?"

"He belongs here with us! The kingdom needs him! We need him."

"And he needs Conrart! I..." Two droplets slipped free, sliding down beneath the edge of his glasses, soaking into the collar of his shirt, his shoulders trembling slightly as his legendary unflappable calm was completely and utterly shattered. "I could not refuse him. He would have sort..." The thought was terrifying in the extreme. Their Maou was so far gone that he would have considered suicide to end his sorrow.

"Look at him." Gunter Von Kleist lifted the slight form into his arms and cradled it close, feeling the warmth slowly fading from the body he held. The life that had once been, flickering away as the soul drifted into the past, into the shadows of the world of what had been. "How can you stand there and let him die?"

"I will not call him back." Fingers curling around the bowl, his dark eyes held a deep sorrow that reflected the knowledge that now pressed upon him.

"When... did he go to?" The lavender haired demon swallowed, cradling the too still body close to his chest, wishing he could return the light to the body, draw the soul back, but nothing could call Yuuri back to them. In time another Maou would come to Shin Makoku... or Wolfram would step into Yuuri's place. But he didn't want to accept this, accept such an ending so soon.

Gazing down into the softly swirling colours that danced within the shelter of the demon mirror, catching glimpses of colour and a brief feeling of darkness. "To the Battle of Lutenberg." He knew it could be no other day, no other day that Yuuri would return to. It had always been the one day for the Maou that he could not change for Conrart, but one he had desperately wished to.

"No." The Aide whispered in utter shock. "No! How could you allow him to..."

"He needed to go. _One_ _day_. One day that he could be there for Conrart." Pausing for a moment, his shoulders slumped as he cradled the bowl closer to his heart, wishing there was something he could do. But there was no way to make things _right_ once more. Conrart was dead, slaughtered at the hands of a master assassin before Yuuri's horrified eyes. Dead... because the Maou could do anything to prevent it. "He witnessed them leaving the Capital, watched Conrart, Yozak and the other warriors depart that day with Lady Suzanna Julia Von Wincott. He regretted not being able to change it, to change the world that day, to correct the mistakes the Demon Tribe had made concerning those of half-blood status."

"What...?" He had never heard that, never known of what the Maou had seen when he had first used the mirror over fifty years before. "Why did he not tell me?"

"I don't honestly know why." Murata slipped his had back through his hair, tussling it badly with the action. "I barely got it out of him myself, but I knew of it. I knew what Shinou had done and of the regrets born that day." In one of the rare moments when Yuuri had turned to him, spoke to him and not to Conrart about the deep shadows that filled his heart over all those that had suffered before he had arrived in Shin Makoku. "He could not bear the death of Julia, the loss Adalbert suffered. The vindictiveness of Stoffel's schemes."

"He cannot change it." Time was set. It was something concrete. _Wasn't it?_ "Can he?"

"I do not know the answer to that one, Lord Von Kleist. But... this is Yuuri. No matter what happens, peace will come and he will have Conrart for one more day." After everything, Yuuri deserved happiness. Could they all be so cruel to refuse him the comfort of the one that mattered most in the world to him? Yuuri had served as Maou for over fifty years, wasn't that enough? Ken Murata didn't know the answers, but he hoped someone did.

"What... happens now?" It was a quiet request for some kind of reassurance between the men. Lavender eyes shimmering with tears, with the emotions that had hovered so close to the surface for months since Conrart's death. His face pressed against the wild tangle of raven strands, cradling the body closer and wishing that there was something he could do to change it all.

"We do as Shibuya wanted. We'll keep this peace alive. We must forge on together, believe that we can keep this dream alive." Dark eyes were closed, the fine lashes brushing across slightly tanned cheeks, tears still trailing downwards. "He is with us." He could not look at the almost lifeless form within the lavender haired Demon's grasp, could not see the deathly still complexion on the face of a man that had always been so full of life and energy. "Believing in us that we can continue on without him."

"The others..."

"I have no idea quite what to tell them, other than we have a legacy for the future to uphold, for Yuuri and Conrart. We will keep the fires of war at bay and make every effort to continue to live as he has shown us how with both Demon Tribe and Humans."

* * *

Darkness clouded Yuuri's vision, the world swirling with a rainbow of electric colours, streaming around him and coiling up his limbs, holding him within the sheltering gloom. Something tickled against every inch of his skin, his body shivering slightly with the unexpected sensation. This wasn't like it had been before, it was nothing at all like the first time he had used the Demon Mirror all those long years ago, neither was it like the transportation effect of passing between worlds. It felt like being caught in between two opposing forces, he could see it clawing at the outside of the cloud he was nestled in, two worlds trying to get through to him and draw him in.

_'Are you certain?' _

The voice startled him, Yuuri twisted sharply at the sound that echoed inside of his skull, his dark eyes scanning the obtuse surroundings for the source of it. For a moment he didn't recognise the accent, the deep melody that pulsed behind the words and suddenly he found himself smiling, a brief flash of white greeting to Shinou.

_'I need this.' _

_'What of those you care about? What about those you are leaving behind?' _Shinou hovered there, blonde locks drifting across the azure gaze that pinned him in place, held him to this small gap that separated his present from the past.

_'I love them all desperately.'_ Yuuri acknowledged, thinking of his brother, of all those who had served him faithfully for years, all those he could call friend. People had come and gone from his life, almost fleetingly to one who lived so long, but each had meant something profound to him. _'I do. I would never have considered leaving them, but...'_

_'But you are unhappy.' _

A sad slow nod was his only answer, it was far more than just being 'unhappy', but the words did not need to be voiced for Shinou to understand them. His world had been wrenched out from under him, the one that mattered most stripped from him and he found he could no longer function, no longer be who he had always been for the others. Conrart had been his balance, his support, the quiet voice that reminded him in the dark hours where nightmares haunted them both that there was always hope for them. Even in the shadows of war or destruction, there was always a ray of light, of hope. Yet, he could not find it when he had lost his beloved to that blade, watched the life flare once in beautiful cinnamon eyes and fade away in a heartbeat.

_'I cannot be alone. I cannot be without him.'_ His fingers curled around the ring that had replaced Julia's pendant. It had been his, the large woven band of gold and bronze matching his own, a heavy familiar weight in his grip, soothing him for a few moments. _'I have tried desperately to keep going for their sakes... I just couldn't.'_

_'If you choose this path, he will not know you, you will be a stranger to him.' _

_'I can live with that. I can live with him not knowing me, as long as I know he is somewhere in the world, vibrant and alive.'_ He needed to see those eyes, the fierceness that was hidden beneath the calm surface. _'One day is all I ask, Shinou, one day to be with him and I will return to Shin Makoku. I will go back willingly.' _

_'If you go forwards, you cannot go back.' _

Brows came together, confusion flaring through him, black meeting blue questioningly. _'It is not the way of the Demon Mirror. My body is still back there, I will return to it... I swear to you I will willingly return after the day is complete.' _

_'It is within my power to grant you more than that, but it is a one way trip.'_

Black eyes widened as he hovered between worlds, feeling the coils tighten around him, reminding him he did not have much time to decide. _'Where will I be going if I do not turn back?' _

_'To the other side of the mirror, to the world that existed before your first trip across the breach.'_ Shinou rubbed his temple slightly, a small smile forming and looking almost sheepish for a moment, fingers tugging several golden strands and clearly looking a might guilty.

He remembered his words to Murata, the stark reminder that Shinou had meddled with what should have been. Was there another world out there... where Julia had not made the choice to give up her soul? A world where... he would not exist? What would happen to that world? _'Meddler.' _

_'Unfortunately, I am quite guilty of being that, but you knew I had my reasons for doing so.'_ Standing on the roiling waves of rainbow streaked clouds, one hand stretching towards the two realities that stretched out towards Yuuri, calling to him. _'Look at them.'_

Yuuri gazed back towards where he had come from, his dark watchful eyes studying the deep resonate blue of that world, the spinning stars glittering over the surface, bright and warm and so welcoming. All those he had loved for half a century, humans and Demon Tribe. Yet, when he looked for that one star, the one person he looked for was not there, his soul long since fled into the void between and his heart ached. The cracks had been mended, the darkness cast out and the light returned to it. _No longer needed._ He had done as he had been asked.

However, when he turned he observed the boiling crimson sea of anger and rage, grief and sorrow of the mirror world he immediately saw the one star he was looking for, sputtering and clinging desperately to life. _'CONRART!'_ Yuuri cried the name, his hand stretching out towards the dying light, towards the spark that flared and shivered. _'He...'_ Lutenberg. He knew that moment, knew the feeling of it the horror of that day he had picked when he had gazed into the mirror. The one day he wished to change.

_What about Earth? _The world of his birth, his family there? Shori... his parents. They were happy, though they missed him, they were happy. That world had long slipped from his reach, long become a dream of sorts to him as Shin Makoku had at first seemed. _'The price?'_ The price of this gift. He had a feeling there was one.

_'It requires both our powers to stabilise that world. It is just one forged through your own magic, you will need to give up much to keep it alive.' _

His powers? If he gave up that, he would more than certainly not be the Maou, he would never feel the full strength of his gift again, but Conrart would be there. Living... breathing... a flame that drew him in like a moth. His power for that? There was no regret over that trade. His powers would keep the mirror from fracturing, from allowing that strange world that existed in reflections from collapsing in on itself. Alternative realities, who ever thought? Yet, in that moment he caught his own reflection in the fractured glass, images of him at other moments... other realities, they caught a facet of him, reflecting it back, allowing him to see in through the blue tinted glass.

_'Yuuri?' _

A smile came to his lips as his eyes slowly closed, the coils of energy evaporating in a rush of steam, the veils lifting from him and he could feel the calling so loudly from both worlds. Though all he heard was one voice in amongst the calls, one voice that echoed through his heart and touched all the way to his soul, warming it, reassuring him once more. He was making the right choice.

_'I want to go home to him.'_ His hand stretched out and brushed against Shinou's shoulder, squeezing it warmly and his expression softened as he finally looked deeply into the other's eyes. _'Thankyou, Shinou.'_

_'I thought it was the least I could do. I messed up your life enough... maybe...' _

_'You didn't mess up my life, I was wrong about that. You gave me happiness, your meddling gave me those precious years with Conrart and you are giving him back to me now.' _Relief flared through Yuuri, his heart in his obsidian eyes, hope flaring alive in his heart. _'Who knows, maybe I might just get to win his heart all over again?_' A boyish smile twisted his lips upwards, while the soft blue radiance spread from him, washing away the rainbow streamers, spreading out across the narrow space between the two worlds, like smoke skimming across the surface of glass.

_'Thankyou Yuuri.' _

_'Goodbye Shinou, watch over Shin Makoku for me. Watch over them... please.' _

The blonde bowed his head slightly, offering him a smile of his own as their magic coiled together, spilling out across the void as Yuuri turned towards the almost invisible glassy surface that had been illuminated by the smoke he had created. Palm pressing against the surface, the translucent barrier groaned under the contact, creaking with the sudden increase of pressure on the surface. Shinou moved up behind the Double Black, his larger hand sliding over the back of Yuuri's, pinning it against the almost viscous surface, forcing the tips of the slight half-demon's fingers through it.

Cracks spiralled outwards from the Maou's hand, a spider web of ragged lines, the tendrils of crimson fluid seeped through the cracks and coiled about his fingers. The blue magic binding with the crimson, twining around and looping around his wrist, attempting to tug him through the fine fractures. Yuuri felt himself being stripped away completely from his body, his soul throbbing quietly within the cradle of Shinou's grasp.

"YUURI!"

The Maou jerked at the cry of his name that filled the void, spilling from the blue peaceful world behind him, his eyes closing tightly together at the sound of Wolfram's voice. It penetrated through the mists, strengthened by Ulrike's power, the touch of Gwendal binding it all together. He could feel them calling to him, the blue fingers stretching through the smoke, seeking, searching for him.

"Come back you, _Wimp_!" The word ignited something in Yuuri, a warmth of deep affection for those who he had long ago started to consider family. "Get your ass back here right now! Do not make me come after you."

_'Please, Wolfram. Understand... I need to go.'_ His eyes stared at that bright shimmering star, a presence that called to him, whispered to his heart and curled around his soul.

"What about us? We love you. We need you!"

_'You no longer truly need me. My time has passed.' _

"Hogwash! You are only beginning."

_'Conrart.'_ Yuuri whispered softly to that brilliant star, his hand had already been consumed, sucked into the viscous mass that made up the mirror world from his perspective.

Hands curled into the edges of his jacket around the form of Shinou, desperately trying to pull him backwards, draw him away from the other world. And suddenly he heard a voice besides that of Wolfram, it took him a few moments to realise it was his own screaming. Soulful cries of the heart being torn from his lips, making the grip on him slacken for a moment in response before the pale blue hands were gripped at the wrists and they were being ripped away by Shinou who turned to face those who had attempted to pull him back from what he had decided.

_'Go.'_ Shinou bowed his head slightly, giving Yuuri a small smile before standing back to back with the younger Maou, forcing him bodily through the barrier. _'I'll watch your back.' _

_'Goodbye.' _

_'Stop being so sentimental, go now.' _Blue eyes sparkled at him, before one last hard shove forced Yuuri all the way through the mirror's surface, submerging him and pulling him out of reach to those that had tried to follow after him.

The Maou felt the wrench of deep guilt consume him at his actions, but this time... he needed it. He needed to be selfish for once in his life, to have something for himself. His time back there was over and the world would continue on without him. Inhaling deeply, he drew the new world, the very fabric of its existence into his lungs, allowing his senses to expand and fill the crimson void.

_'You are not a reflection.'_ He whispered into the star filled expanse, spreading out his arms in welcome. _'Third time's the charm as they say.' _

Abruptly Yuuri Shibuya was falling, being sucked away and downwards. The universe swallowing him completely, leaving behind the voices that called to him to stay. And as he fell towards the infinite well of that world of energy... several fragments split off from him, dropping into the pool before him, fragments of himself scattering along the length of the time stream.

* * *

It was hopeless.

Blood sprayed in a fine mist as the Big Cimaron General's blade sliced across his brow and down over one eye, his entire body jolting at the flare of pain. One half of his vision flaring brightly with the deadly glint of that blade, before darkness descended across his right side. Exhaustion filled him, a soul deep pain that swept up and through Conrart Weller as his knees gave out under him, the battle taking everything from him in that moment.

His guard dropped, the tip of the blade slipping against the dark earth, crimson filled his vision, scarlet red armour stained even darker with the sprays of fresh blood across it. His world spun, weariness tearing at him, overtaxed muscles clenching tight, capturing him for a deadly moment. The roar of his own pulse thundered in his ears, mingling with the battle cry of the enemy soldier, the sounds running together, a cacophony that battered at him.

They would die here. Humans and half-blooded Demons alike would die here. The battle was one so fierce that it had taken on a life of its own as those loyal to the Demon Tribe gave everything to bring down the opposing forces, even though they were outnumbered with no armour, no supplies and no weapons. There was no surviving this bloodbath.

Agony burst along one side of his ribcage, the cold steel slicing through flesh and cutting deep into bone, his head lifting sharply, catching the wild fury that burned like a living thing in the General's eyes. The sword slipped through his flesh, withdrawing and in that brief moment leaving the man's chest wide open, the lower chest exposed beneath the armour and heavy cloak. Conrart struck hard, thrusting with all his weight upwards, driving through the entire barrel chest of the man, his sword being wrenched from his hand as the large man stumbled backwards a step. Those eyes were like that of a murderous depraved creature, staring down at him before collapsing heavily to the ground, facing the sky, life instantly vanquished. The animal that had slaughtered women and children was dead, but he had always struck him a mortal blow. The sword vibrated as it stuck out of the chest like a tree sprouting from the body, dead and straight.

His fingers clamped around his side, trying desperately to clamp down over the wound, feeling warm fluid seeping out from between his fingers, dripping downwards and soaking into his tunic. Attempting to stand, his entire body jerked as something struck him hard across the shoulders, throwing him downwards, his ears ringing with the crack of a hilt against his skull. A shadow loomed over him, the figure raising the blade over his head, ready to bring it down across the back of Conrart's exposed neck, intending to sever his head from his body.

There was nothing he could parry the blow with, his sword was out of reach still buried in the flesh of the General, and with a horrible sense of finality he knew his life had come to its likely conclusion.

"CONRART!"

His entire body jerked at the sound of his name, his heart suddenly racing like a thundering stallion across open ground. Cinnamon eyes lifted just enough to catch a flash of black, a slender lithe form diving forwards and a harsh clash of two blades echoed so close to his ears that he could hear the scrap of metal against metal. The stranger shoved hard at his shoulder with one leg, knocking him sideways to sprawl against the dry earth as the blades dropped, the force behind Conrart's attacker's slice being too much for the awkward parry.

Through blood-blurred vision, the half-blood stared up at his rescuer, surprised for a moment to not see Yozak but a dark haired man, his wild mane pulled back at the nape of his neck, his dark clothes stained with dust and grass. A cough rattled through him, his body curling as brown locks flopped across his vision, making it almost impossible to watch the two twirl and dance through a savage battle of blades. The movements were familiar, his mind racing to understand why the fighter was using his own style, moving with the same lightning fast grace...

The blade twisted and struck the man's throat with the flat of the blade so hard that the man was knocked sideways, instead of having his head severed from his neck. The movement had half crushed the throat, enough to knock the wind right out of the human soldier and another furious rush had the human on the ground, blood flowing freely from the open wound on the man's temple.

"I would kill you for that." The stranger hissed dangerously, the blade hovering over the human, dangerous and for a moment Conrart thought the dark haired Demon would indeed strike the human dead. Yet, the man turned to face him, obsidian meeting cinnamon, a smile spreading across the warrior's lips. "But that is not my way."

"Who...?" Conrart croaked out between parched lips, his entire frame shuddering, his blood soaking the hungry ground beneath him, his shoulders trembling slightly. This stranger had saved him, appeared out of nowhere and _saved_ him. His heart refused to stop pounding as the warrior sheathed his weapon and dropped down onto one knee beside Conrart. The very breath caught in his throat when tender fingers stroked back his brown locks from across his eyes, the pad of one thumb grazing across his cheekbone in an intimate caress.

"Save your strength." The raven haired man tugged the dark jacket off his body and tore the fabric, bundling it and pressing it hard over the deep wound in Conrart's side, staunching the flow of blood, but gaining a soft sound of pain from the Captain. "Stay with me, Con." Free arm sliding beneath the captain's shoulders, his head was drawn against the warmth of that body, his cheek brushing against the cotton of the shirt, slightly damp with sweat.

Smoke drifted upwards into the evening air, swirling flames catching at the dry grasses and brush that lined the battlefield, the entire place becoming nothing more than a tinderbox quite ready to go up at any moment. Obsidian eyes scanned their immediate surroundings again, his heart clearly breaking at the sight of so many bodies, both sides lying like dolls tossed by an angry child. Arrows sprung up from the flesh of some, red staining everything, soaking into the earth and doing nothing to slow the spread of fire that would consume everything within minutes.

"Can you stand?" The stranger questioned Conrart, the thin demon attempting to lift the practically dead weight of the Captain to his feet, desperate to steady him as pain and a fresh wave of blood soaked into the fabric of the makeshift bandage. "Con? Can you stand?" Black eyes sort to meet cinnamon again, his head dipping enough to catch them and knew he didn't have much time before Conrart was no longer able to answer him.

Unbuckling the heavy sword belt, he tore the sheath from it, using the leather to pin the compression in place, keeping pressure on it until he could get the man out of them and tend to the wound properly. Grunting at the tightness, his body staggered once before he was able to catch his balance. Conrart blinking hard against the burn of the smoke, entire body sagging slightly as he managed to stay upright, feeling the arms sliding away from him, leaving him without support and his hand caught around the slender wrist, gripping tightly as he forced his aching head up to look at the stranger, the beautiful face smudged and scratched, but looking at him with deep concern.

"My men..."

"I'm sorry... I need to get a horse..." One of the ones that was attempting to flee the fire that had attempted to box them in, forcing several of the frightened creatures back towards them. "You're a little too big for me to carry."

"The men." His grip tightened again, almost making the stranger wince.

"Dead, but you aren't and I'm going to keep it that way." A hand stretched out to gently steady Conrart before turning towards the prancing war horses, managing to calm one of them with a practiced ease, one that clearly came from quite a bit of patience learning to handle horses. Conrart's own mount was drawn towards him by the bridle, the demon halting the creature before the dangerously swaying soldier, soon swinging up onto the saddle.

"Con." A hand reached out towards him, closing around the larger one, pulling with all his strength and managed to get the trembling half demon up into the saddle behind him, sweeping the captured hand around so that the arm wrapped about his own waist. "Hold on."

The half-blood shifted a little more comfortably on the saddle behind the smaller man, both arms coiling around the slender waist, one hand splaying across the warm belly, noting with shock just how thin this man was beneath the damp fabric. His strength was slipping away again and his head dropped forwards, suddenly finding he had his face quite literally buried against the curve of shoulder and throat, wild black locks teasing against his cheek and lips, silky soft and tormenting his senses. Cinnamon eyes closed as he inhaled sharply, surprising himself, but he almost jerked when he felt a hand cover his own, fingers twining together in a private little gesture before they were on the move.

His frame crowded in behind the stranger, leaning against him to keep himself upright, pressing against the warmth, his body feeling so cold... Who was this stranger, whom knew him by name? Who would risk his life to...?

Yozak? What about him? He... could not be... amongst the dead.

The horse whinnied in agitation as the creature was forcefully urged through the smoking grasses, the hooves kicking up tiny embers that sparked the brush around them. Yet, the war horse was kept under control, forced into a run carrying both men, the stranger not willing to wait another moment and the jolts of the horse's motions were enough to keep Conrart from asking or risk biting his own tongue in the process.

"Yozak is still..." His voice was nothing more than a thready whisper as he attempted to get the words out from between dry lips.

"Right now I need to get you to safety." The demon was definitely going to remain stubborn over that point, he was not going to leave Conrart anywhere near this place, he needed to get him to an Inn where he could see to that deep wound. It needed to be cleaned before any healing was truly attempted. "After that, _after_ I know you are secure I promise I'll come back and look for Yozak. Con..." He swore softly under his breath, a few words that Conrart couldn't understand, but the grip over one of his hands tightened, keeping the half-demon close.

"I can wait." Conrart protested, his lips so close to the other man's ear his breath brushed against the shell of it and he actually felt the other shiver in surprise at it. "Turn back."

"Stubborn as ever. I'm not risking your safety for _anything_."

Conrart's rescuer was actually as stubborn as he was, butting heads over this issue and the Captain knew that he was not going to be allowed to turn back to search the battlefield for his friend. A flare of grief hit him, a stab of worry turning into despair at the thought of his friend being lost to him.

"Conrart." Their fingers were laced tightly against the warm belly, the dark-haired demon squeezing them tightly. "If anyone could survive that, it would be Gurrier Yozak, he's always been a man to be able to get himself out of tight situations."

"How do you know him?" Who was this man? Could he be trusted?

"No more questions, Con. I'll come back to look for Yozak, he'll be fine, I'm certain of it."

About to protest again, something that surprised even him, he fell silent, strangely reassured by those words and giving into the weakness that had sucked nearly every drop of strength from his body. His weight pressed against the smaller man's back, face turning again into the curve of that throat, letting out a weary sound. Even though he clearly out-massed the smaller man, somehow the other kept him saddled and prevented him from sliding from it as he was jostled continuously by the horse. Good eye closing, he stopped fighting the tiredness brought on by battle and blood loss. He had never heard anyone refer to him as 'Con', no one would dare to shorten his name, yet it didn't bother him, it felt oddly intimate, something to be shared with this man.

"Rest."

Had anyone ever come for him? Like this...? Besides Gunter and Yozak, had anyone ever... come for him? Cared enough to...

"I promised I would not fail you this time and I won't."

And the world spun once more, dizzy and blinding, his fingers curled tight around that hand, hissing out a breath before the darkness crept into the rest of his vision and stole everything from him as he collapsed against the stranger's back and he drifted into that darkness with the sweet scent of the dark haired demon filling his senses.

* * *

Yuuri shifted slightly as he leaned over Conrart, the damp cloth running the length of the deep wound, careful not to catch the fabric against the edges of the ragged wound, he knew this scar it would make, low on the right side. He had almost come too late, almost lost what was most precious to him a second time. Glancing back towards the doorway, he swallowed at it and hoped that if anyone came after them the lock would hold long enough for him to finish.

Swallowing slightly, he gazed outside at the pounding rain that spattered against the glass and the entire window rattled with the howling wind that swirled through the dark night. This was not a night to be out in that violent storm, his heart throbbed slightly at the thought of Yozak being out in that, but right now Conrart needed him and he could not risk leaving him alone quite yet to go out in search of his friend.

Shifting forwards so that he was sitting on the edge of the double bed, Yuuri leaned over his companion, fingers sliding through the slightly damp brown locks, fingering the long strands, sweeping them away from the handsome face. He had never seen besides that one trip to the past, Conrart's hair so long, it looked almost wild and was silky soft against his fingertips. Though the thick bandages were coiled underneath the strands covering the slash over one eye, that scar was just as familiar all the others to him, he knew every inch of this body and that sent a rush of familiar heat pooling somewhere low in his gut. Wrenching himself from his thoughts, he gazed at the man before him, his heart throbbed roughly at the thought that this wasn't _his_ Conrart. It should be enough that the man was still alive somewhere in the world but being with him just returned all of Yuuri's world to him.

He had not been able to use any form of Magic since his first moment of arrival, his levels were so low that he wondered if he had almost lost all of his abilities, he had not been able to even draw this storm earlier to the area and prevent the fire from consuming the battlefield. The former Maou hoped that he would have enough to partially heal the deepest parts of the deep wound, at least heal the nicked internal organs.

"Stay with me." And his palm stretched out over the cleaned wound, the faint glow building beneath his hand and filled the deep wound, Yuuri feeling a rush of relief that at least he had enough for this.

Conrart jerked hard at the feeling, his head lifting as the one good eye the man had widened at the sight of himself being healed, his voice choked for a moment into a rattled croak at the sensation. The man stared at Yuuri, seeing him clearly for the first time in the candle light of the small clean room.

And the former Maou knew exactly what Conrart would see, a Double Black, his hair a wild mane that tangled around his shoulders, the strands always untameable since he had stopped cutting it at Conrart's quiet request. "You are safe, Con. Just remain still for a little longer." His free hand stretched out to rest against the centre of the bare chest, attempting to keep the larger man down against the clean sheets of the bed. He could feel that heart racing for a moment beneath his palm, stronger than it had been, the warmth of Conrart's flesh almost too inviting for him to resist.

With another burst of magic, he finished his work, slumping slightly against the edge of the bed, struggling to keep himself upright, surprised at just how much it had taken out of him. It was rare that he felt like this anymore, _powerless_. Yet one look at the living, _breathing_ man on the bed made it all worth it. Conrart. Lover, partner... _husband_. It sounded odd to that small part of him who had been a scrawny kid from Japan.

"You are a Double Black."

It was a statement more than a question and Yuuri knew Conrart wanted answers, that gaze pinning him to the spot and almost made him smile at the look, so Conrart, fierce underneath the cool exterior. Yuuri wanted nothing more than to spill everything to the other half Demon, he had never quite been able to resist Conrart's looks.

"I might be, but I'm like you." The corners of his lips twitched upwards at that, feeling happy. This time... he would be an equal to his beloved, he would be able to do this. Protect the man and watch his back rather than finding himself being half dragged off over someone's shoulder in a rather embarrassing manner.

"You have use of..."

"Limited use." But that didn't matter. Conrart was here and he felt tears burning behind his eyes, wanting desperately to fall at being able to hear that voice, feel the life within the beautiful body once more. "Enough to do a little healing, but not much more than that."

"How do you know me?"

What could he say? What explanation could he give? Who was he here? A thousand questions struck him, but he needed to work it out quickly unless he wanted Conrart agitated. "I'm a friend of Lady Suzanna Julia." Would that work? For now it just might. It was true wasn't it? In some variation of this past he had been friends with Suzanna Julia, though the fact that _he_ was in some sense that woman made it at least true in one fashion as well.

"Julia." The cinnamon stare softened for a moment at the name and Yuuri felt a jolt of jealousy, fierce and hot and it startled him at its intensity.

He was not Julia here, they were two entirely different people, though he would need to address that issue as soon as possible, they only had a few days before Julia would allow herself to possibly slip away. He didn't know what would happen since she had not met him that day when the Lutenberg Division had left Blood Pledge Castle. "She was so terribly worried for you and your men and well... I couldn't stand to see her so anxious..." He was the one that had wanted to stop this battle, change the past, but this battle was vital to end the war, he could not stop it without possibly prolonging the conflict.

"You... came alone...?" Tiredness permeated the question, Conrart's head settling back against the pillow, the briefest flash of surprise registering in that one good eye. But the real question hovered between them alive and vital. _You came for me?_

"Yes."

Whatever Conrart had been expecting that was definitely not it.

"I'll need to wait for the worst of the storm to past before I look for Yozak." Glancing at the window and the flashes of lightning brightening the sky outside and silhouetting the other expansive wing of the Inn he had found, he knew it was practically suicide to go out in this storm. "I would go now..."

"No." Fingers clenched tightly around Yuuri's wrist, thumb sweeping over the inside of it as he clamped down preventing the dark haired half Demon from moving away. "You will not."

And that got a bright smile out of Yuuri, his heart throbbing at the words and the sound of the command almost making him laugh. His Conrart would have never said it like that, never demanded obedience from him, but attempted to convince him... move to slow him down, keep him back. He didn't mind it, liking that Conrart wanted him close. "You sound like Gwendal." Yuuri couldn't help but tease, seeing the grey-haired Chief-Of-State in Conrart in that moment. "Demanding obedience like that."

It was clear Conrart's mind was attempting to place him, desperately attempting to work out exactly who he was. "I..."

"No. You're well within your rights." Or at least Conrart had been, his hand lifted off the expanse of tanned skin, his palm pressing against the ring that rested against his chest under the edge of his grey shirt. It seemed wrong for him to be carrying it and not returning it to... its owner. Yuuri had to stop this! Had to stop thinking of this Conrart like his own, they were distinctive, _different_. This man didn't know him. He could not say this man was his, could not curl against the man's side... could not lean in and kiss the oh-so-tempting lips. Yet his heart screamed at him. This was Conrart and Yuuri loved him. "I shouldn't tease you." The corner of his lips twitched upwards again, unable to help himself as a fingertip rubbed tenderly across the edge of the shadowed jaw, feeling the slight stubble just there.

He found that cinnamon brown eye staring down at the captured hand, at the ring around his finger and clearly came to one conclusion over Yuuri.

"Its not like that."

That gaze lifted upwards, regarding him with slightly raised brows in question, drawing the hand upwards by the wrist, grip having instantly gentled when he felt no resistance.

"He... he was killed some months ago. I cannot... I can not bear to take it off." Sighing softly, he reached out with his other hand, fingers curling around the edges of the ring, ready to pull it upwards and slide it off his finger but he was stopped when a large hand coiled over his fingers and folding them in the larger one, preventing him from removing something that was so important to him.

"You have not told me your name."

"Yuuri, or at least... that is my mother called me, she was human." His eyes closed at the thought of his mother when she found out what he had done, but the feeling of Conrart's hand over his own made him open his eyes again and gaze down at the man before him. "Yuu is fine. My father was a very distant descendant of the Von Wincott family."

"Yuu." Tasting the word, the soldier found it comfortable on his tongue, finally allowing himself to drop back against the sheets beneath him, his head sagging back against the pillow. "You saved my life."

"Well that _was_ the whole point." Laughing for the first time since Conrart's death, he couldn't help feeling the fresh rush of love for this man, the ease of their conversations would come with time. All he hoped was that he would get a few more days with Conrart, a few more precious moments with the man he loved so desperately. "What good would it be if I dragged your dead ass back to Lady Julia?"

"Language." A hint of a smile ghosted across Conrart's lips, his expression lighting up just a touch, humour colouring it. "I do not think Lady Julia and the word 'ass' belong in the same sentence."

This was not a man who easily smiled, but Yuuri was certain he could change that. "Okay, I admit I would prefer your rather cute rear and Lady Julia not to be together..."

Conrart made a tiny rude noise, clearly not pleased at the response, though the comment about his own rear got him a raised eyebrow. However, he was privately pleased to know that he was attractive in some way to Yuu.

"No jokes from you." A finger pressed against Conrart's lips, obsidian eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth. "You could not tell one to save your life."

"I am not that bad." Catching the tip of that finger, he bit down gently, throwing off his inhibition for just a moment. His hand reaching up to catch the back of that dark head, his fingers sinking into the deep raven strands, cradling the back of that skull and keeping the other man close, needing to watch the emotions flare in those midnight eyes. Needing to see the effect he had on the other man. This boldness was so unlike him, but the desire to touch was far too great, the craving to just bury his hand deep into that hair and tug the tie from it to see the cascade of black frame the beautiful face...

"Not that bad? Even your mother _winced_."

How did Yuu know? How could this man talk as if he knew... as if they had lived a lifetime together. Did Julia tell him? She wouldn't do such a thing... she knew Conrart was a private person... yet... Yuu _knew_.

His good eye studied the man before him, noting a thousand things in that face, the dark smudges beneath the large dark orbs, the almost translucent quality of the pale skin beneath his hand, the marks of malnutrition, it could almost be called starvation. Yuuri was like a ghost, haunting the world and just a step away from the grave. Conrart's heart sank at the sight, whoever Yuuri had loved had meant the world to him, meant practically everything and without that man... everything had collapsed like a house of cards. He could not stand to see such suffering on the face of the one who had come for him, the need to protect was almost overwhelming, his grip tightened slightly, crushing those raven strands between his fingers a touch possessively.

Here Yuuri was attempting to comfort him when he was in such terrible pain. This man cared.

"Have you met my Mother?"

"Ah..." Yuuri froze abruptly, his large dark eyes staring back at the man. "I need to see to your wound."

Fingers coiled tighter, keeping the stranger there, keeping him close and definitely not wanting the man out of arm's reach, in the state he was in, Conrart knew he would not be moving off the bed for a few hours. He felt leaden, limps heavy and resisting his commands to move. "Yuuri."

"Don't ask it of me, Con." The pretty face twisted away, attempting to drop his gaze, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep quiet it Conrart pushed him. It was almost instinctive to spill out everything inside his soul to this man, it had always been that way, Conrart a silent figure that hovered just within reach, willing to be whatever Yuuri needed of him, warrior, confidante, _lover_.

"Yuuri."

"Don't! Please. It... it is unbelievable even to my own mind." It was unbelievable, though maybe Conrart would understand? Yuuri was being _selfish_. He had left everyone behind, abandoned the world that had been his home for over fifty years because he wanted, _needed_ Conrart... and here the man was. Alive... burning like a living flame beneath that quiet cool. But it was like a dream, one he had escaped to. He was meddling in things. Craving something that he had no right to, there might be another in his world that was destined to be the one to be the other half of Conrart Weller's soul.

"Forgive me." Fingers reluctantly uncoiled from where they had curled into the thick strands, his entire hand itched to bury itself right back again, feel the wild tendrils of ebony tangling with his fingers.

"No... I do owe you an explanation. You... most of all... but I can't... if..."

Conrart couldn't help himself, sweeping his palm down across the warm cheek, wishing he could sweep away the distress he had caused. His emotions were wild, his control slipping around this man and he didn't know quite what to do. Not even his hours with Julia could quite compare to this time with Yuuri. The Double Black made him feel like melting, like laughing, crying... made him want to feel everything just a little more deeply.

"Conrart." The voice was so soft, the soldier almost missed it. "May I request one thing?"

_Anything._ The word almost slipped out of him, responding to that quiet question. Yuuri had come for him, pulled him from the fires of hell and had asked nothing in return. Nodding imperceptibly, his frame shifted as Yuuri drew him upwards, shifting around to support the weight of the taller man as he covered the deep wound and began to weave the bandages around his chest, keeping pressure across it.

"Until we reach Lady Julia... could..." Raven brows knotted together for a moment, the young man looking suddenly shy for a moment, expressive eyes a touch wide and showing him so much of what was inside. "I miss him. I miss him so much... and I..."

Conrart was startled at the request, piecing together exactly what he was being asked. Their physical attraction to one another was obvious to both, it was something that could not be stopped, they were drawn together, unable to escape the silent pull that existed. No one had ever treated him quite like this, though he immediately thought of Julia, a woman who would be forever out of his reach, even if he confessed. What could it hurt? Honestly... what could it hurt to share something that Yuuri so obviously needed?

"Am I adequate?" Was he good enough? Good enough for someone like Yuuri? This man could pass easily as one of the Demon Tribe, even with the small amount of magic he controlled. Even his brothers... he...

"You? How could you not be?" Hands framed his face, turning it and their foreheads touched slightly, a quiet display of affection and reassurance. "You have always been far more than adequate."

It rattled him. This man rattled him to his soul. "You have something of his?" Just where had Yuuri come from? He had far more questions than he had answers, but he could be patient. Yuuri would tell him, in the end he knew the other man would tell him everything.

A hand reached down, fishing a chain from where it was hidden beneath the collar of his shirt, drawing up and allowing the ring to drop over the edge and down against his chest. Yuuri clasped the ring against his heart, the one he wore glinting in the lamp light. Swallowing hard, he fingered it once, so use to the weight of it, before unclasping the chain at the nape of his neck, allowing the gold and bronze object to spill into his palm.

Yuuri offered it out towards Conrart, not being able to meet the cinnamon eye that peered down at him then at the offered treasure.

"I do hope he did not have large hands than my own." The elegant fingers reached out to pluck the object from the warm palm, lifting it upwards and studying it for a moment, noting that there was an inscription inside the curve of it, however in the light of the candles he couldn't quite make it out. This was not hard. Wear a ring, offer comfort and in return have a sense of belonging for a little while, have someone close and willing to believe in him. "Or smaller."

It was the former Maou's turn to snort at that rather elegantly, both brows twitching and his nose wrinkling ever so slightly. "Do I look like someone who would..."

"I suppose not." Amusement sparkled in that one brown eye, Yuuri just struck something in him, drawing him out and making him want to smile.

Soon the ring was being slipped down onto his finger, Conrart gazing at it as it snugly settled on the digit as if it had been made for him. Flexing his fingers, the ring settled and he brushed his thumb across the inside of it, surprised at just how well it fit him. He could feel the tiny scratches across the metal, the slight wear in places and it was clear whoever had worn it had been a professional swordsman.

This entire situation was odd.

"I... think you lost this back at the battlefield." Drawing the blue Wincott pendant out of his pocket, he had realised it had been missing from around Conrart's neck when they had arrived and it only seemed fair to return this particular item to Conrart, even though it had been his for a considerably long time.

Large fingers closed around the pendant and Yuuri's hand, squeezing both. "I will not wear it until we again see Lady Julia. Keep it for me." He would not wear something that belonged to another while he was with Yuuri, he respected the request too much and it felt wrong to do such a thing. "This is enough for me." His hand lifted to show the ring to Yuuri, catching the smile in those large obsidian eyes, catching the light that filled them. "You are enough for me."

Stunned, the slender man was staring into Conrart's face, his mouth opening once, not a single sound coming out.

A pleased little smile came to his lips, the corners twitching upwards, feeling his heart lift at the expression. He could not replace what had been lost, but he could ease it, he didn't quite understand how, but clearly wearing the ring was important to Yuuri. This was definitely not what he had been expecting, he had never experienced anything quite like this, feeling utterly accepted for just who he was and what he could offer.

"Tell me about him."

"He... he was my strength. I could always talk to him, anything that filled my mind, any thoughts that troubled me, he would willingly hear me out no matter what it was. I loved him so very much, he was my protector, my shield. I was amazed when he... when he did not deny me." The pad of a thumb feathered across Conrart's left cheek, knowing what the action signified, the noble way of proposing, a strike against the left cheek. "I never truly knew what I did to deserve him, he was my happiness, the light and warmth that always greeted me when I felt the weight of everything upon me."

"What happened?" His voice was soft, coaxing.

"I... we were out late, I wanted to continue to work, but... we were both tired and I decided for us to head back on our own and not wait for the guards. But... it was so quick... it came out of nowhere, struck him... then... I saw his face... saw the demon that hunted us..." Yuuri was being pulled downwards, his entire body unresisting as he was being drawn into strong arms, his face buried against the curve of that throat, feeling the stroke of those fingers against his nape and into his hair, the ring catching slightly against his hair. "I could do nothing, it was so quick, he was just... there one moment and gone... completely gone the next... I could do nothing... nothing to bring him back to me, I tried everything."

It felt like a nightmare, the last few months feeling like nothing more than nightmares. Conrart was right here, warm... solid and gloriously alive.

"I'm right here, Yuu." The words slipped out, wanting to comfort the slender man who was half sprawled across his body. His chin rested against the top of that head, cradling the smaller body tightly to his own, even though the weight put pressure against his aching wound, it felt so good. "A little damaged, but _I'm right here_."

A fantasy. He could indulge couldn't he? Give Yuuri what he needed and gain a few precious memories of his own, one where he was something more that he had been. A reason to live, a reason to breath and fight harder for their kind. He could let Yuuri in. This half demon wouldn't tear out his heart, wouldn't see him as a means to an end. They had both willingly entered into something that would last a few days then...

"Con."

Shifting slightly, his hand drew that head upwards, finding those trembling lips with his own, kissing the trembling ones deeply, his mouth moving swiftly against the softness. The taste was incredible, sweet and played across his senses like fire, tormenting him. There was nothing that could quite compare to this. They melted together, fitting so easily. Yuuri looked like he had never been kissed before, bright eyes wide and staring down at him.

Yozak would be laughing, blue eyes teasing him over the fact that he was kissing a person that was practically a stranger, that he had more than likely lost his mind agreeing to this. The thought of his friend drew him back to reality, making him realise that Yuuri was panting softly against his lips, desperately trying to catch his breath and smiling widely at Conrart. Those luminescent obsidian eyes shimmering with unshed tears of happiness and the best part was he had been the one to put it there.

"Feel better?"

That smile twisted slightly into a smirk, giving Conrart a rather knowing look, one that spoke of intimacy and something so hot it melted right through him. "_A little_."

"One would think you were completely innocent, looking at you a moment ago."

Yuuri nipped Conrart sharply on the tip of the nose, before licking the offended skin like a cat, curling tightly up against Conrart's side on top of the blankets as they were rearranged to cover his bandaged chest up to his shoulders. "You are not going to tease me about that again. It was _one_ time."

"You bit me."

"And you deserved it for that comment."

The soldier was floundering, drawn up into a teasing play of words that naturally sprang up between them, awakening his heart all over again. Even Yozak's teasing never got much out of him, but Yuu...

"I am not _innocent_ and you will not use that word to describe me again..." He would forever remember Conrart's remarks on 'why he couldn't touch Yuuri' when they had first ended up arguing about why the man was reluctant to do anything more than kissing. The man confessing that he found Yuuri to be innocent and felt that Shinou would certainly damn him for even contemplating... "Or I'll be calling you Connie all day tomorrow."

"Don't you dare." The half demon growled, fiery.

"So... I didn't bring my soldier to bed, I brought the _lion_. Always did bode well for me though."

"How so? Your disregard for decency... and control... would only land you..."

"_Control_?" Dark eyes rolled skywards, while he nuzzled his face deep against Conrart's shoulder, one arm stretched over the strong chest and opposite shoulder, holding him close. "I have perfect control." What were they even arguing about? It was... wonderful though, hearing his voice... but there was something uninhibited about this man, like a live wire, the edge of emotion just a little sharper. Julia's death not having stolen something from Conrart, from all of them.

"Mmh..." Conrart allowed himself to just relax into the warmth, wishing... he could draw his mind back to what it should be thinking about... but Yuuri was taking over his entire world, filling the space with warmth and so much more. Sleep was calling to him, his arms tightened around the slender body, pulling him closer and not wanting to let go.

"Rest, Con." Lips drifted across the corner of Conrart's, allowing himself to relax as well, listening to the heavy rain and knowing that it would be at least an hour before it slowed enough for him to go in search of anyone else out there in the dark night beyond the lines of trees that rose across the hills surrounding the Inn. For now, he would enjoy having Conrart back, allow himself to believe his beloved had returned to him and to try and dismiss the burning guilt he felt over using a man like that.

* * *

The creak of floorboards jolted him awake, the scuff of boots against wood, the wet sound of soaked fabric hitting the ground. The scent of rain was strong in the air, the mud... leather and horses... His hand slipped across the blankets, his fingers instantly touching the hilt of his sword, his fingers curling slowly around it just in case the intruder decided to do something untowards. Trying to remain perfectly still, he was suddenly aware that the weight of his companion was gone from his side, any hint of warmth dissipated from the sheets as if the beautiful half demon had not been there. His heart denied that vehemently, Yuuri had been there. Had something happened to him?

Another wet sound... the slide of fabric against skin... the rattle of a sword in its sheath.

_Yuuri_. If anything had happened to him! Conrart would make sure whoever was responsible would suffer for their actions. Gripping the hilt of the blade, he tensed slightly, straining his ears and other senses to pick up exactly where the stranger was in the room he had glimpsed earlier.

Slowly his head turned towards the soft sounds, his good eye slowly opening, his vision blurring for a few moments before gazing straight at the slight back of the lurker. Water dripped from the long black locks that flopped and clung to slender shoulders, muscles wiry and rippling just beneath the almost translucent skin. Yuuri. Without the shirt, he could see just how much weight the man had lost, his heart skipping a beat at that and promising to himself that he would never allow this to happen again. There was a long mark carved into the smooth damp skin, drawing Conrart's attention to the scar low on the man's back.

"Yuu?"

Instantly, the man stiffened, back ramrod straight and slowly turned around to face him, dark eyes half hidden beneath dripping tendrils. The sword belt and sheath clattering to the floor as fingers released the spasmodically, staring at Conrart as if he had quite literally seen a ghost.

"Yuuri?" A little louder this time, his body shifting on the bed, attempting to rearrange himself so it made it easier to face the gorgeous wet creature standing by the doorway.

"I..." Swallowing visibly, his gaze swept down over Conrart, taking in the sheet that had dipped down at some point to the trim waist and back up to meet the one eye looking at him.

"Come here." Stretching out a hand towards the other man, his fingers twitched slightly, beckoning towards his companion.

Frozen to the stop still, he didn't move.

"Yuuri." A little more sharply, making the shorter half demon almost jump right at of his skin, instantly Conrart softened his voice, needing for the other man to come to him. "Come here to me as I am currently not able to come to you." Slowly he managed to take some weight on his elbows, pushing himself upwards on the bed and into a sitting position, much to Yuuri's protests over the movement.

Several shaky steps and the man was within reach, the soldier instantly brushing his fingers against a chilled cheek, dampness clinging to the pads of his digits. "You are soaked through." Lips pressed together as he took in the slight shiver of those shoulders, before he was trailing a thumb lightly over the trembling lower lip, stroking back and forth tenderly. "What would have you out in the rain..." Before he could ask the question, he knew the answer. Yuuri had been searching for Yozak and the others, for him. No wonder Yuuri's beloved had been so protective, his Yuu was selfless and would end up ankle deep in trouble. "You should have waited for morning."

"It wasn't raining." Yuuri protested, shifting forwards and feeling the attractive warmth of the other man's body so close, the heat of it radiating across his damp, chilled skin.

"Yuu."

"Well, not much anyway." Like a scolded child, the former Maou looked slightly guilty, but nuzzled into the hand that touched his cheek, the tip of his tongue sliding over the pad of that teasing finger. "It only started to pour again when I was on my way back..."

"Yuuri?"

"I couldn't find him. I looked, but he wasn't amongst the dead." And Yuuri sounded relieved about it and Conrart had to agree with that reaction. "He'll try to find you or maybe he was with the others that made it."

Conrart's heart jumped at that, relief flooding him, others had made it.

"There were tracks along our side of the battlefield, at least two dozen different marks, several horses. They are heading towards the nearest garrison of that I am certain. It was your men."

"You did this for me."

"I promised I would." Though Yuuri looked rather serious all of a sudden, his hand sliding up to curl around the back of Conrart's squeezing lightly and pressing into the warmth of it. "Conrart, do you think you will be able to travel tomorrow?"

The thought of riding was not a pleasant one, his body ached and he felt like he could quite willing sleep for a week, but there was just something in his pretty Yuu's tone that made him aware that the other knew something that he was not saying. "I can ride, but..."

"We have only one horse anyway."

"Then yes." A slight nod, though he wished to find Yozak before they moved on. His friend was somewhere out there in the dark storm swept night. "_Yozak_."

"We... don't have much time." Three days was all they had before something happened to Julia if the time line was still as he remembered it. Even though Julia might not have agreed, life had a way of catching up and taking what should have been taken, he had to save Julia for both Conrart and Adalbert's sakes. Yuuri knew that his beloved still loved Julia, at this point... the soldier's heart belonged to another.

"Why?"

"Its Lady Julia. I know _something_ is wrong and we need to get you to her." Conrart would be able to stop Julia and seeing him alive would hopefully be enough to change her mind.

"Julia..." The man swallowed hard at that and he considered the situation, they could search for Yozak, stay there and look for the man... but they didn't know if he was already away from there and safe, but Julia... she... Yozak would forgive him for this and he knew Yuuri had searched for _hours_ for his friend and found nothing. "Alright." Giving in, he turned his attention back on his companion, finding a towel from earlier and lifting it from a nearby chair, wrapping the fabric around Yuuri's slender shoulders, drawing him in closer. "You need to bathe and warm yourself."

"As long as you promise not to get up from the bed." The black gaze narrowed slightly on Conrart, jerking his chin slightly and drew the blankets up around Conrart's large frame, smoothing them out before turning back towards the small bathroom that they had.

"You seem to just want to keep me in it all the time..."

Both raven brows lifted at that, while slender fingers were working at his belt, slipping it free and settling several different pouches onto one of the nearby tables, money, map... a few other necessary things. "I admit I like knowing you're waiting for me." Pants soon pooled in a damp puddle on the floor, and showed there was _nothing_ underneath the fabric, giving Conrart a rather good view of an adorable rear. Yuuri had no sense of modesty around him, giving him a wicked little smile over one shoulder and winking. "_Next time_ don't get yourself hurt and you wouldn't have to miss out on sharing a bath with me."

Conrart's jaw almost dropped at that one, watching the swaying hips disappear into the bathroom and felt abruptly uncomfortable where he sat. _Minx_.

"You know I heard that."

"I said nothing." His lips pressed into a firm line as he listened to the sounds of the water running, a blanket of steam sliding across the wood floor.

"Well you certainly _thought_ it."

"I have no understanding of what you are referring to." Privately he was grateful that Yuuri continued to talk to him, distracting his mind and heart from the fact that his friend was still missing and that Julia was in danger of some kind. Pushing for more information would more than likely not work this time, whatever the reason he was not being told was more than likely a good one.

"Tease or something along those lines." Water splashed, as Yuuri settled himself into the bath tub, sighing with relief as the ache in his bones and muscles was fading with each lap of the warm water across his flesh. Rubbing slowly with the cloth, he was brushing away the dirt that clung to his skin, resting his head back against the lip of the tub as he did so. "Stop scowling at the floor."

"Yuuri."

"I love that about you." Toes wiggled, the former Maou smiling as he relaxed as he continued to scrub, the water slowly going from clear to a slightly cloudy brown.

"You barely know me."

"Let's see..." Sliding the ring from his finger, he was carefully cleaning it, noting the paler skin beneath where it had rested. "You have cannot tell a joke to save your life. You have a dislike of turnips and your mother referring to you when you were younger by the affectionate nickname of 'Connie'. You were trained by Gunter in sword fighting and you are still extremely fond of him as he is of you." Sinking deeper into the water, he was drawing up thoughts of all the stories Conrart had told him of 'before' Julia and the first war with Big Cimaron. "You want nothing more than to have acceptance for others like us, to have your brothers see you as being their blood brother. Wolfram doesn't see the value in humans, including your father and it is why..."

"Did Julia tell you?" Conrart questioned softly, stiffening and feeling his fingers clench.

"No."

"Who then?" Yozak? Who else could know?

"You did."

That was unbelievable. They had not meet before that very day, he would have remembered someone like Yuuri, remembered that sweet smile and the warmth of those dark eyes that swept over his face and looked as if... "We had not met until this day."

"We have." He couldn't hide it. One thing Yuuri Shibuya had always been terrible at was keeping secrets from Conrart. "You will hate me." His face was buried against his hands, pressing into them and his shoulders trembled at the first burn of tears. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Why couldn't he... just not speak like he usually did?

"Tell me."

"Why... why is it when you ask me... I can deny you nothing?"

"..."

"I'm from the other side of the mirror." It sounded crazy. Completely and utterly crazy. He had only planned to have one day... one day to change everything and now... now... Conrart was in the other room, alive and a demanding presence that called to him all over again.

"Explain."

"I don't belong in this world."

"Earth...?" Conrart questioned softly, brows drawing together and shifting slightly where he sat.

"No. Well... I was originally... but... I'm from a different version of _this_ world." Parallel universes gave him headaches, everything about this made his head throb something fierce. All he wanted was to be able to be with Conrart.

"What time?" Attempting to accept whatever was told to him by Yuuri, his mind attempted to get around the idea.

"Seventy years from now, or the equivalent." Sliding his fingers back through his messy locks, he smoothed them out as best he could, his head dipping and knowing that at any moment Conrart could deny everything he said. "I... was selfish when I chose to come here..."

"You knew me and my family." All those Yuuri had spoken of, it all came from experience and personal memories. "Who were you to... us?"

"Maou."

Conrart stiffed sharply, staring at the open doorway and the man that was somewhere inside in the bath, his entire body stiffening even further, his voice getting caught somewhere in his throat. Was this man a danger to his brothers? Could what this _stranger_ know upset what should be? Suddenly he was suspicious of the other's motives, it had all seemed off. Why would the Maou abandoned his people? What reason could be given for such a thing?

"You abandoned them."

Yuuri wince sharply, his body jerking at the sound of disapproval in the other man's voice. "I..." How could he excuse his actions? How could he... excuse his selfish desires to have Conrart back? He was guilty of using the situation, of twisting it around and... "I had my reasons."

"What good enough reason can be given of the Maou turning his back on his people?" His thoughts turned to his Mother, of the entire situation with Stoffel, how everything had collapsed. If this was the way their next Maou acted, he wanted no part of that future. He was fighting for a better Shin Makoku.

"Con..."

"I'm part of your plan, whatever that may be. Otherwise why would you rescue me."

"Its... not like that." But it was. It was and he was so _selfish_. He could still hear Wolfram calling to him across that void, stretching out and desperately trying to find any trace of him. They still wanted him to come home, even though he had turned away from them, turned his back on them.

"You are a terrible liar."

Yuuri jerked at the sound of the voice so close, Conrart standing in the doorway, that one good eye fiery and staring straight at him, all the warmth that had been there earlier having evaporated. The man shouldn't have been up, he swayed slightly, large shoulders trembling slightly with the strain resting across them, before he was staggering towards the bath. "You shouldn't be up!"

"Do not change the subject." Yuuri had never had Conrart's anger directed at him before, the flare of so much energy reminding him of Wolfram, the fierce reckless emotions that burned so close to the surface at times. "You will tell me now what your plan is."

A vivid stain of crimson was slowly soaking through the thick weave of bandages over the deepest of Conrart's wounds, though the man didn't even seem to notice, coming to the side of the tub, his hand reaching out to curl around Yuuri's slender wrist. His slender body stood there, dripping wet from the bath, his feet sliding against the ceramic, barely able to keep his balance as he was being held still.

"Tell me."

"I wanted to change it." Yuuri blurted out, his obsidian eyes staring up at Conrart, swallowing hard against the fierce ache that was staring in his forearm and he could feel the rub of that ring against his skin, his body shuddering and felt his heart almost shattered at the look that was being directed at him. Conrart. His beloved Conrart had never... But he understood, understood the protective instinct in Conrart in regards to his family, to his country. Yuuri was a threat to everything. "I wanted to change the past."

"So you could do _what_?"

"Save Julia." Letting out a hiss of sound, he turned his face away, feeling heat burning through him. This was what he had been warned about, but he hadn't listened, he had acted without thinking. "Save... you. I... it wasn't meant to be like that..." And it hadn't. There shouldn't have been that last soldier, the one that had almost decapitated Conrart. "That soldier wasn't meant to be there... I knew I couldn't change the outcome of the Battle of Lutenberg... it was... too important..."

Pain flared red hot through his side, his entire body shuddering slightly at the feeling, but he pushed it down in favour of learning all that could be told to him about the war, any information no matter how possibly inconsequential could save lives. Though his heart was screaming at him, horrified of the way he was treating Yuuri, his very soul crying out in anger at himself.

"I... I needed to stop Julia... she... Shinou told her that her soul is needed." His head hung, long strands of black framing his pale features, his shoulders drooping. "So... Julia is working herself to death... using her magic... until... or at least... I'm sure part of that is true. I was meant to talk to her... but in this universe I didn't and she didn't make the choice completely to give up her soul without regret. I..." It was twisted. "Shinou planned for her soul to be reborn into the body of the next Maou."

"You?"

A slight nod. "I hated that, hated his meddling... Julia should not have had to give up her life for mine, but I cannot regret... I cannot regret my life. I had happiness, Shinou's actions did allow me that."

"Your dead soldier."

A nod. "I... could not bear to be without him. I could not... bear... his death... I wanted... a day. One more day... with him."

"Why save me? Why... ask of me... when clearly he is in this world, otherwise you would not have come."

"I..."

"I did not ask to be saved."

That made Yuuri look up, his obsidian eyes burning fiercely at those words, fury bubbling up and over. How could Conrart say such a thing? When his own beloved was buried deep in the ground and out of reach, when he would never have the love returned to him? That his man, alive and breathing would just give up what had been _given_?

Yuuri's left hand was still pinned by the grip around his wrist and so his right hand came up, sweeping around and making contact with Conrart's left cheek, stinging the tanned skin. Black eyes widened at his own action, his fingers trembling as his hand dropped both of them silent for one very long drawn out moment.

"My partner, my _soldier_ was Conrart Weller. I loved him more than you can imagine. How dare you! How dare you say such a thing while he is _dead_ in the _ground_. You are here, alive... breathing... and you want to **die**?"

Reality came to a jerking halt, his cinnamon eye staring down at the face of the man in front of him. Yuuri had loved... him? Even if... it was another version of himself, this man had loved him. And now was here with him, having left behind everything in an effort to be with him again. Another blink and he became extremely aware of his left cheek stinging, the blow just as shocking as the knowledge imparted to him in that moment. Yuuri had just proposed to him.

"Why did you come?"

"For you , you... you were here and I could not..."

"Did you mean it?" Conrart's fingers touched against his stinging cheek, feeling the tender skin and knowing there would be quite the red mark for all to see for a while.

The half demon swallowed hard, remembering the moment he had struck Wolfram in the same manner, not realising exactly what it meant and the surprise when it had been Conrart who proposed to him. This was different. But... Conrart wasn't so angry anymore, that expression frozen in a look of surprise. "Yes."

His thumb brushed lightly over the inside of Yuuri's wrist in quiet apology before realising abruptly, that Yuuri was completely in the nude, water trickling down over the pale white skin.

Yuuri stared up into those eyes, before his head dropped, his entire body shuddering as he glanced to the side and caught his reflection in the mirror, his face ghostly pale in the reflection as darkness was sneaking in around the edges of his vision, nibbling away at it as the seconds ticked away. His hands reached out to grip hard at Conrart's arms, his fingers digging in deep enough to leave bruises on the tanned skin.

"Conrart... please..." He whispered softly, his voice quivering along with his own, his eyes staring into the reflection, watching his entire body dissolve slowly. Something tugging at his soul, drawing him away from the place he wanted to be. It had not even been a day! Barely half had past... barely... a few hours... "CONRART!" His voice called out the man's name as the entire world began to fall into that familiar black hole, the grip of something tearing him away from where he wanted to be.

"Yuuri?" It was soft, hands curling about his shoulders but were met with open air. "Yuuri!"

And the silver backed glass of the mirror _cracked_.

* * *

**XD Another crazy part WEEEEEEEEEEEE I was so happy I could use both of these! *smiles* it makes me happy. Even if no one XD ever reads it. **


	3. Part 3: Fransia

**Author's Note: XD A little more explanation in this one XD this fic likes being weird XD But... I do hope someone out there likes it. I'm tempted to write a few one shots XD even one of GwendalXYuuri. I mean XD I don't know... but it would be fun! Still need to figure exactly how Conrart did come back XD I have a feeling Shinou had something to do with it XD Any ideas?  
**

**Disclaimer: OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

"Conrart." Gunter breathed out softly, his long hair framing his pale features, the man's lavender eyes sweeping over the tall form of one of his greatest students.

Slipping his hand into the inner pocket of his long coat, he withdrew the slip of paper, holding it between his fingers and lifting it as he confronted both Yozak and Gunter Von Kleist. His heart sank over the entire situation, the pointlessness of it all tugging hard at his resolve. "You sent this?" The parchment felt rough against his fingers, burning a hole in his hand and right through him.

"Yes I did, Captain." Yozak responded, vivid blue eyes reflecting the chaos of emotions that lurked just beneath the surface. The air was so thick, it could have been cut with a blade, the tension rising by the moment, the tiny hairs of the back of his neck prickled, reminding him that they were out here without the Maou knowing. A single mistake could bring the young sovereign there and it would definitely not turn out well if that occurred.

"That's unusual of you, Lord Von Kleist, for you to come here, so far away from the Castle. Is his Majesty in this town too?"

"You have no right to refer to him as 'his Majesty'." The demon's eyes narrowed slightly, limbs tensing as the strain flowed from the air and into his lungs, seeping into every pore of his body. It struck him hard, the feeling of betrayal, of knowing that the most loyal to Yuuri now stood firmly against their Maou with no explanation for his actions. "Why are you wearing that uniform?" The white and golden yellow of Big Cimaron, that burned the eyes and set his teeth on edge. "Why did you betray his Majesty and Shin Makoku? I have guided you to become his Majesty's sword and shield, made you his protector. Answer me, Conrart!"

A long silence passed between them, only the faint sounds of voices and horses bounced between the buildings and filled the dusty Fransian air.

"Will you not answer?"

What could he say? What could he answer? Conrart could give them nothing, nothing at all. All he could do was hold onto the sense of duty he had, the promise to Shinou and his attempts to bring about the peace Yuuri so desperately wanted for the entire world. The face in the mirror haunted him for a moment, the burn of the ring resting against his chest, the memory of those words of forgiveness for his actions and the stain of blood over his hands.

"Or is that your answer?"

The half-demon stiffened as Gunter reached for his sword, hand curling around the hilt as his eyes widened as he watched the blade being slowly drawn from its sheath. The glint of metal setting every sense on alert and making Conrart freeze that Gunter would actually do this. This was the last thing he had ever wanted.

"I lost many of my students during the war with Big Cimaron twenty years ago. For something like that to never happen again... Its devastating." Anger burned in Gunter's eyes, the sparks of something feral raging just behind that gaze. "To never have my students lose their lives... That's what I have resolved." Anguish flared, brilliant and filled with so much sorrow that it stole the breath from Conrart's lungs to know that he was causing so much suffering to his mentor.

But Conrart gripped the hilt of his own sword, moving back into a fighter's stance as Gunter charged him, their blades meeting with a sharp clang that resounded off the brickwork of the buildings. Power was being thrown against one another, the impact sending a few dangerous vibrations running through the locked pair.

"I will deal with you myself." Gunter hissed out, staring into the cinnamon eyes of his most prized student, his jaw gritting sharply and refusing to back down. "No matter what happens, you may not interfere, Yozak!"

"I know." The blonde responded, his fingers curling around the hilt of his own blade, but he was unable to help his own sense of confusion and sense of betrayal over his Captain's refusal to answer and his unwillingness to listen to them. "If your Excellency were to be defeated and that is the Captain's answer. Then..." His grip tightened, knuckles almost turning white in response.

The blades slid across one another, steel against steel, Gunter lunging forwards, blade sweeping in fast and quick, but Conrart kept once step ahead, moving swiftly to stay out of reach of the blade. Parrying every strike, his body shaking ever so slightly with the overwhelming wash of emotions that stole his breath and left him broken inside. They both were a blur of power and strength, moving with almost unnatural speed across the open courtyard hidden between the high roofed houses.

Pausing, Gunter held his blade at the ready, searching for an opening in the other man's stance. "What's the matter? Your skills should be much better."

There was one good reason he didn't want to fight, this man was his mentor, a friend that could never be replaced and with each clash of their blades, the blows scored deep furrows in his heart. It stung viciously across his very soul. "Stop this, Gunter! I don't want to make his Majesty sad."

"How can you say that?" The full blooded demon bellowed, eyes snapping with the crackle of power raging just beneath the elegant surface.

"Don't you understand yet?" He was pleading, wanting nothing more than for this horror to stop. "Your sword is a weapon that doesn't understand the battlefield. Even with your ferocity, for you who have never dirtied his hands or bled. I will not...!"

Swords struck hard together, Conrart driving in towards the other man, trying desperately to push him off balance, to end this battle before it had truly begun.

"Why don't you and your body find out if my sword understands the battlefield or not?"

Metal found flesh, Conrart staggering slightly as a thin trail of blood flowed down across his temple and down across one cheek, his body shaking ever so quietly with the utter horror of this situation. This was the last thing he had wanted, the last thing he had wanted to have to do. He did not wish to harm Gunter or Yozak, it gouged out his soul knowing that Shinou had been the one to force him into this corner, that he was the only one that could accomplish this particular task. His left arm throbbed, the fingers twitching and refusing to calm, every part of him ached with the knowledge that it was his blood that Gunter wanted.

"Looks like I'm the one dirtying my hands to make you bleed."

Conrart was backed up against a wall, his sword raised, ready to parry the next blow. His body was thrown back by the following strike, Gunter's ferocity unleashed behind that blade. It was a dance, a wild play of swords and bodies, moving together so swiftly, both attempting to avoid the deadly sweeps of the clashing blades.

His boots slipped on the loosely packed earth and rocks, lower back bumping against the large stacks of wood secured against the wall. Chest heaving, his face was streaked with sweat and clinging dust, his body shuddering once, knowing that he was cornered, that Gunter had backed him into a wall and that there was only one way to escape and that was through Gunter.

Gunter's blade rose for another vicious slash towards Conrart when a dark shape leapt forwards, a blade coming up so fast and parried the movement, weight being thrown behind the counter-attack, enough to throw the lavender haired demon off balance for a moment. A blast of energy struck the centre of the noble's chest, shoving him back an extra step as the man stood panting between them, long cloak swirling around his body.

"I don't think this is a very fair fight." Yuuri's voice was a low growl, obsidian eyes snapping within the shadows of his hood, his teeth gritting, knowing that his skill level might be enough to aide in Conrart's escape. He had always wondered about this day, always wanted to know exactly what had actually happened. Now he had his answer and he was not about to let anyone hurt Conrart. The sight of blood streaking the side of the man's face was enough to tear at every protective instinct Yuuri had. He had seen enough of that blood... enough of the red spilled out over the earth, soaking into it, turning it a burnt crimson.

"Excellency." Yozak was gripping the hilt of his sword, half drawing the weapon out at the appearance of a second fighter against Gunter.

Conrart was staggered, every sense on fire and knowing exactly who this stranger was, his every instinct screaming at him to protect Yuuri from Gunter. His blade came up, shifting slowly, needing to get in between the two fighters before Gunter could strike another blow against their Maou, this was still their King no matter how much time had past for this stranger. His heart warmed to know that the man was alive, that despite the slight weakness across one side, he was still breathing, still vibrant and full of energy.

"Esoteric power..." Gunter panted softly, the blast of energy having winded him, his senses on full alert and desperately hoping that they would be able to get some information from this encounter.

"I am going to get you out of here, Conrart." The hood of the cloak was pulled down low, even though it obscured part of his vision, he needed to make sure that neither Yozak nor Gunter discovered exactly who he was. He had awoken on the roof of a nearby building, thankfully not completely in the buff, barely knowing where he was until he had looked down into the streets and recognised Fransia. It had struck him hard to the stomach, knowing that this was another of those moments that he had always wanted to change. There had been so many of them... so many teasing his thoughts... but here... was one of them.

This time he had been fast enough, quick enough to find them amongst the houses and brick buildings of the human country. It was odd to think that somewhere there was a version of himself, a child struggling to understand why Conrart would do something like this... he knew why, knew of his soldier's absolute loyalty to him. This time he wanted to defend him, just once... he wanted to protect the man that had become his world. Like at Lutenberg, like now, he wanted to protect what was precious.

_Conrart_.

Yozak had drawn his weapon, ready to defend Gunter and even the odds.

"You taught me well, Con." Shifting, he was moving slightly, allowing them to get away from the wall, his head twisting back to glance at the half demon with a slight smile touching his lips. "You ready?"

"You... shouldn't be here." Conrart managed to get out, but he was already manoeuvring into place, ready to fight back to back with his Maou, knowing that against both Gunter and Yozak he would more than likely not have a chance at defending the man.

His grin widened, feeling his hear throb in response to those words. Conrart knew who he was, even though... whatever the reason he was glad that Conrart was willing to trust in him. He knew Conrart would get away, but this time he would be right there with him, even if it was for a matter of minutes, Yuuri Shibuya wanted to be Conrart's shield. "I couldn't help myself. I just knew you would get yourself into some kind of trouble."

"Trouble?" The half demon laughed softly at that, readying to take Yozak on, knowing that they needed to end this fight quickly and escape before something happened. "You have a knack for attracting it no matter where you go." His heart lifted, the weight that pressed down so solidly on him relented even for a few moments.

"At least I have you to pull me back out again." Yuuri couldn't help but laugh, feeling the spark light up inside of him, the fire of love and even more that burned its way through him. "Now, Conrart, no stalling." He missed this, missed the rush of emotion and the sound of the man's voice, the quiet teasing that always came up between them. Obsidian eyes slid over Gunter's face, took in the appearance of a man he knew quite well and begged quietly that his long time friend would forgive him for this. They had only crossed blades once during one training session, but he hoped he knew the other's fighting style well enough to be able to keep the man off balance.

And both of them attacked as one, moving swiftly, Yuuri allowing himself to relax into the fight, allowing Conrart's movements to guide his own, both of working together to drive the other two away. Even though a part of him was screaming over doing battle with Gunter, his instincts to protect Conrart were stronger, another wash of magic shimmered in the air, sweeping up dust and pebbles. A shower of debris blinded Gunter for a moment, long enough for strike hard with the flat of his blade, knocking the other man away as he swung around sharply, his blade driving in towards Yozak, adding to Conrart's block, forcing the half demon's fingers to release the hilt of the sword for a moment, the blade spinning out and burying itself deep into the gravel strewn ground.

Both of them were running, the small storm of stones instantly dropping to the ground in a fine shower the moment Yuuri released his grip on them. His cloak flapped wildly around him as he was following onto a few steps behind Conrart, moving away from the pair and towards the river he knew had to be somewhere nearby. They would be able to find the boat... hopefully he would not see himself, that they had been quicker this time, a few seconds was all the difference they needed.

Suddenly a blade whistled through the air, the sword acting like a dart, catching his cloak's hood at the back, fabric being torn as it was impaled on the blade, his forward momentum was enough to completely remove his cloak and hood. The wild mass of raven strands sprang free, falling down over his shoulders in an untameable mass, his obsidian eyes turning to regard Gunter, their gazes meeting as he saw the utter shock in the other man's expression, the jolt of recognition.

"Highness?" It was barely above a whisper, but Yuuri heard it.

"YUURI!" Conrart whirled, his entire body rigid as he stared at the blade that had almost injured the man he had sworn he would not fail. The lion roared with rage, cinnamon eyes glinted with steel, as fury burned like a lightning whip inside of him, his gaze turning on Gunter with murder glittering in his expression. The caged beast bellowed its anger as he moved towards Gunter, his movements swift and sure, _Yuuri had come for him_.

A blast of energy caught Gunter hard across the chest, driving the lavender haired demon back and out of the way as the blade slashed down through empty hair, Yuuri sagging slightly with its use, knowing that the longer he kept this world together the weaker he would become. A bubble of memories.

"I am unharmed." He spoke softly, fingers sliding back through the thick mane of raven strands, sweeping them away from a face that was a mix of both 'Yuuri Shibuya' and the 'Maou', he had grown into himself, into the power he held. Obsidian eyes softened slightly at the sight of Conrart, his heart warming to see the man move so swiftly in his defence. "Conrart."

The soldier hissed out a breath between his teeth, blade held ready to strike again if Gunter so much as made a move, his brown eyes snapping with barely restrained anger. A flutter of something slipped up along his back and deep into his heart at the sound of his name from those lips.

"Majesty!" Gunter was trembling visibly, his eyes flaring wide at the sight of the raven haired Maou, grown and self-possessed. He couldn't help but wonder if this was indeed the future of their beloved Maou, if this man before them was the result. "Majesty I... forgive... me..."

His hand curled around the torn cloak, pulling it back around him and clipping the fabric back together as he was moving swiftly away from Gunter, moving with a sweeping grace. Though his body ached in places, the wounded muscles and knitted flesh tugging hard and his physical exertions leaving him feeling drained. "Yozak."

"Majesty..." The half-demon stared as well, his entire body frozen at the sight before him.

"Protect Gunter, return him safely to the Inn. The boy will be worried about both of you." Obsidian eyes crackled with authority, showing he wasn't about to be too accommodating if his order was not met. "Right now, you do not need answers from Conrart or from me." Pausing for a moment, a hand reached out towards Yozak, his fingers squeezing warmly around the man's upper arm and looked him straight in the eye. "Your efforts have always been appreciated, my friend, you have always been valued and your judgement sound."

He needed to go, but right now, he could not have Gunter stop them, it would not do either of them any good if the lavender haired demon prevented them from going.

"Trust in him, Yozak. You will know what I mean." Bowing his head slightly, he stepped away, his hand dropping, before Yozak was following the instructions given to him, moving to intercept Gunter and crowded the man backwards. "Conrart." One call of that name and he was running, pulling the hood up and over his features shielding himself from view, his heart heavy leaving Gunter and Yozak behind. He had already turned his back on them once, the guilt struck him hard, but the moment his eyes lifted to meet those silver streaked brown ones he felt his heart throb in reminder. There was one reason for this and it was this man.

"Your Majesty!" Gunter called, but Yozak was continuing to physically herd the man backwards, refusing to let up and knowing that right now that they needed to follow the instructions given, even though he didn't understand them.

"Goodbye Gunter." He whispered softly, tugging the hood up and over the wild mane of black, his hand catching Conrart's and pulled hard, dragging the man with him as he disappeared around the corner of the building. He was thankful for the visits to this town that he now knew most of the streets, knew that the ship had probably moved far enough down river that if they were followed by the time they realised their escape route they wouldn't know where the ship was heading.

Suddenly the air whooshed out of his lungs as an arm connected gently with the back of his knees as he was being scooped up, his slender form bumping back against one strong chest, his face sheltered against the curve of Conrart's throat. The longer legs of the soldier easily carried them to the canal, Conrart glancing back along the length of the river and almost stumbled as he caught sight of someone on the other side, brown eyes staring at the face, arms gripping the man in his grasp a little more tightly.

"I'm right here, Conrart." He whispered softly, nuzzling his face into the warmth of that throat, his fingers sliding upwards and tangled in the short locks at the back of the man's neck, rubbing his fingertips through them.

They were both on the edge of the bridge, the wind rushing past them, the landing jolted through Conrart's body and into his own, his arm wrapped tightly around the strong neck as both of them hid in the shelter of the ship's stern. The captain of the ship didn't even seem to notice them, more interested in the mug of ale that was constantly refilled and with the beautiful sunset that shimmered over the water, setting everything in colours of vibrant gold. The half demon sheltered him close in his lap, both of them remaining silent as the slow grip of day faded with the brilliant colours of sunset, Conrart clutching him close, desperate to retain the one thing that could save him.

* * *

"Let me have a look." Yuuri was dropping down onto his knees beside Conrart, a hand reaching out towards his protector, gently grasping the man's jaw and turning his head just enough to be able to see the shallow cut across Conrart's temple. "I should reprimand you for getting hurt." Pressing his lips together, he was dipping a cloth into the well beside him, lightly touching it against the wound, knowing he didn't have enough power to heal even this small wound. "You are quite filthy." Laughing softly, he was washing out the cloth than rubbing at the sweat and grime that clung to the tanned skin, knowing that those beautiful eyes were watching him with a thousand questions glittering in their depths.

"...Majesty..."

"If you start calling me that, I'll just wash out your mouth while I'm at it." Obsidian eyes sparkled in amusement at the expression on the half-demon's face, the uncertainty there clawed at his heart. "How did you know it was me?" His lips pressed together as he continued to clean the dust streaked cheeks, leaning in closer to the seated man, feeling the warmth of that body so close to his own. "Was it that sixth sense of yours?"

"We met before, Yuuri." Worry fluttered over his features, his hand lightly touching against the silky skin and lightly brushed upwards into the soft locks of hair, sweeping them back and away from the beautiful face that was lit by the moonlight. Fingertips touching the scar that ran beneath the heavy fall of hair, his heart aching horribly to know that someone had indeed done this to his Yuuri.

"I wouldn't actually doubt that." His eyes closed for a moment, leaning into the contact, almost purring under the soft caress, the brush of that hand made his heart ache for something that he knew had been completely taken from him. "Considering that before this... I was at the Battle of Lutenberg."

"What...?" Brown eyes widened slightly, his brows lifting in surprise and deep worry. "How... could...?"

"I guess my plan kind of screwed itself up." Turning bright red, his eyes closed and he just pressed into those fingers, giving into his need to just feel that calloused palm stroking over the side of his face.

"Will you tell me, Yuuri?"

"I could never resist you. No matter what period of history, you were always so... _intense_." His earlier laughter died as he just needed to empty his soul, allow the words to fall from his lips. Conrart had always been his confidante, the one that would listen to him when he needed to speak of what was troubling him and still... even in the middle of a situation like this, the man was still willing to listen. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

Conrart shifted on the edge of the well, seating himself on the two steps leading up to the edge of it, the cold of the stone seeping through the fabric and into his bones. And he allowed himself to relax as well, feeling the fingers continuing to slide across his scalp and brush away the small pebbles that had been caught up in the slightly damp strands. This had been a dream of his, a soul deep desire to feel those fingers caressing his body, bringing every part to him to life, whispering to him that he was all that Yuuri needed, that his blade would be this man's protection. He was jealous of Wolfram's position in Yuuri's life, even if it was only in name...

"There had been a fire down in the village on the other side of the town, it was late and we both went to help, the fire was out of control and... even with the rain I summoned it was hours before we could put it all out. There was so much dried timber stacked in several of the sheds for the coming winter... it just continued to feed the blaze." His eyes closed at the memories that were being drawn up from inside of him, just as raw as that day six months before. "By the time it was mostly out... you and I were... we were exhausted. I told my guards to remain, to help with the fire and we headed back towards Covenant Castle."

Conrart's fingers tightened slightly against his knee, trying to keep himself still, to just listen to the sound of the man's voice, to allow him to speak, when everything inside him screamed for him to reach out and pull the beautiful young Maou into his arms and protect him with every breath left in his body.

"It was a demon that attacked us, so fast... you had only enough time to force me down on the saddle. He..." A hand covered his mouth, tears falling down over his fingers, dripping down across his knuckles and soaked into his sleeve, his shoulders quivering with the memory of so much blood. "He struck your heart... the arrow... went straight through..." Trying to control himself, to stop the wild tears that dripped down and over the back of his fingers. "The horse bolted, knocking us both to the ground, you lay there... so still... and I found your sword... I was able to deflect one blow... but..."

"He stabbed you." One large hand slipped beneath the edge of the long cloak, finding heated fabric and pushed it aside, fingertips managing to slide across the expanse of Yuuri's back, knowing exactly where the blade had struck. He remembered the feel of the cold metal meeting warm flesh. "I remember the blade..."

They had made a connection, at some point, Yuuri had made a connection with Conrart's soul, attempting to reach through the cracks in his world to draw Conrart back to him. That explained why Yuuri had appeared to him, sort him out to offer comfort to him and draw him back...

"The next thing I knew his blade was coming down towards me, it struck me..." His head lifted, sliding the hood back and drawing his hair away from one side of his face, knowing that Conrart could see it in the light of the few guttered torches that lit the quiet well. "I don't know how long I was out, but when I awoke you were there... so cold beneath my hands, your soul drifting away from me. I tried to pull you back, tried everything I could to draw you back to me, but I was so weak... so lost without you. Gwendal and Gunter found me sprawled over you... covered with blood and no one could... they dragged me off you... I couldn't stop them from taking me away..."

"You were dead. My partner, my other half... was gone. I had... I had not been without you in _decades_." The shock had been enough to almost tip him over the edge and straight into the grip of insanity. His chest heaved slightly as he continued, knowing that he needed to say it and if he did, maybe Conrart would forgive him. "I... don't know how I continued to function, I don't think I really was... everyone tried to keep me together."

Conrart's hand was sliding up across Yuuri's side, feeling the slight play of ribs beneath his fingers, the usually lean form practically starved. His head tipped up slightly, gazing into the obsidian eyes that were so full of tears, his heart screamed at him to reach out, but he knew Yuuri needed to finish.

"I... reasoned my only way to survive was to find you again and there was only one place I knew to find you. I... just wanted one day with you again, one day where I could feel your presence... know you were once more in the world. I used the Demon Mirror." His fingers curled slightly, eyes closing and just wanting to feel the familiar warmth of those arms sliding around him, pulling him close and telling him that all would be well. "I left Shin Makoku in their hands. I was... selfish." Swallowing slightly, he couldn't bare to look into those eyes and see them reflect... something other than the love he had always caught in their beautiful depths. "Your... past self... was right when he said I had abandoned them... but... there was _peace_. There hasn't even been a border skirmish in over two years! I... I wanted to change all the things I have regretted. And Shinou helped me. He... he helped me get through the mirror... I wanted one day with you."

Conrart's head was spinning with everything that had been said.

"I wanted to be with you! I couldn't bare another moment away from you. I don't know what happened... at Lutenberg, one moment... we were arguing... and the next I woke up on a _roof_..."

_'Does your Majesty believe in time?' Those eyes staring back at him, so cool and quiet, Conrart standing over him before the army of Big Cimaron and King Belal. 'Time gives us happiness, but it can also take everything away from us.' _

It was almost funny just how true those words could be.

"I think... the mirror fragmented when I went through... I don't know... what is going to happen to me anymore..." Suddenly the wind was knocked out of him, arms closing around him, yanking him of his feet and down into Conrart's lap, fingers were buried in his hair, turning his head up so that he could look into those brown eyes and see the understanding reflected in them. "Con..."

"I would stand by you, whatever your decision." For a few brief minutes he could be once again at Yuuri's side, his head dipped, hesitating to claim those trembling lips, to indulge in a fantasy that... to offer... himself as anything that this man needed. "I... betrayed you..." His heart was heavy as he spoke those words, knowing that he had betrayed all the faith the boy had had in him. He had wanted to do what he could, follow both Shinou's orders and try to bring about Yuuri's dream of a peaceful world. "I drew my blade... against you."

Pressed in close against the warm body, his mouth brushed against Conrart's temple, licking at the last traces of blood from the wound, his forehead resting against the softness of the brown locks. "Always taking on so much, always trying to..." Inhaling deeply, his entire body sagged against the strong one, his mouth moving against familiar skin, knowing each line of the handsome features. "All will work itself out." And it would, he knew it would. He knew his time with Conrart was limited, that he didn't know what would happen once he reached his limit and could no longer hold himself to this illusion.

"Yuuri." His hands slipped under that already untucked shirt, just the pads of his fingers brushing across the small of Yuuri's back, begging for permission, the calloused fingers rubbing slow circles over the warm skin. Conrart was entranced, those glorious obsidian eyes gazed down at him with love, with all the things he had desperately wanted to see in them. Would this be his future? Would one day he be able to be Yuuri's sword and shield once more? Could he grasp the dream? _One day_. One night... _one night_... was what he craved. Guilt flared in response at that thought, that he... he wanted to love this man back, give him whatever he could, return the feelings that dogged his every moment. He loved Yuuri Shibuya so much that his soul ached with the unspoken emotion.

"What can I give you?" Mouth pressing against the corner of Conrart's, his cheek rubbed softly against the warm jaw, inhaling softly and knowing that both of them craved the same thing. "What can I give you that will allow you to find a few moments peace?" Settling in Conrart's lap, their bodies were brushing together, warm and fitting together so perfectly.

"Aren't those my words?" Unable to help the soft laugh that worked its way up out of his soul, his head twisted, their mouths brushing in a sensual caress, Yuuri nipping at the lower lip, sucking on it and unable to his own flaming desires.

"Maybe they are." Yuuri purred.

He wanted to forget the pain, forget the world that existed... a world without his beloved Conrart. He would not go back. He would not go back! All he craved was for them both to forget all that troubled them, their bodies hummed with energy and coiled tightly with the sexual tension that arced between them.

"I should..." Conrart was caught off-guard when that soft mouth moved to his brow, a tongue teasing across the line of one scar, tracing it slowly, lingering over it.

"You need to return to the Inn, don't you?"

"_Yuuri_..." A hoarse whisper, hands sliding upwards across tantalisingly warm skin, stroking and caressing slowly, teasing the heated flesh. Palms flat against the curve of that back, he pressed the slender frame closer, wanting nothing more than to succumb to the pull of that mouth.

"I'll come to you." It was a quiet promise, face pressing against the warm slightly damp locks, his arms wrapped tightly about Conrart's shoulders, desperate to hold onto the man for a little while longer. Conrart had to get back to the Inn he was staying at or arouse any suspicions the Big Cimaron troops had and also it wouldn't do to continue their evening out in the street where any drunk could walk past them and notice the rich raven blue-black of Yuuri's hair. "I promise. I know where it is." Eyes sparkled warmly at Conrart, their mouths meeting, heat flooding the gap between them, it was only a brief contact but it was enough to set them both completely ablaze. "I'll be with you tonight, Conrart."

"I do not wish to leave you."

"Go." Sliding from that warm lap, his body throbbed with the palpable need that washed up and through him, making everything inside him ache to return to those arms. "Before I get too impatient with your clothes."

Both brows arched upwards at that as Conrart found his feet, longing to reach out for his Maou, to pull the beautiful man to him, to brush away the tear tracks that still ran down across those cheeks. "My clothes, Majesty?"

Crossing his arms, he gave Conrart a long once over, his lips pressing together before smirking slightly. "The fact there are far too many..." A hand waved slightly, before eyes glittered beneath the fall of raven strands, Yuuri giving the other man a look that spoke of everything that existed between them in the future.

Conrart was loath to go, his entire body screaming at him to remain where he was to keep the man in his arms, but he closed his eyes for a moment, trusting in his Maou. He could not be seen bringing someone to his chambers at the Inn, the others from Big Cimaron would more than certainly interfere and that could not be permitted.

Everything inside him screamed as he stepped away, bowing low and feeling his heart clench slightly at the promise of something happening between them. Even if it was just one night, make he could ease the pain the other man suffered, to steal away that terrible sadness that darkened those eyes. "Do not hesitate to call me, Yuuri."

"I won't." Winking, he drew the cloak up tightly around him and vanished into the shadows with the practiced skill long learnt from too long with Yozak. "I'll be coming for you."

* * *

"Brother." Wolfram was frozen as he stared at the brown haired half-demon, his jewel green eyes wide in his beautiful face, his hand clenching slightly in the fabric of the blanket as he just watched Conrart move, seeing the sparks of pain glitter beneath the surface. "_Conrart_." He hadn't wanted to let himself believe in what he had seen, hadn't quite been able to truly comprehend that his brother was back.

Standing abruptly, the chair scrapped against the floor almost toppling over in his haste to rise, his lean frame stretching from the cramped position it had been in for several long hours. The back of his legs bumping softly against the edge of the bed he had been sitting by, his lips pressing together and swallowing hard against the lump that half choked him. Golden strands drifted down across his forehead, his fingers instantly pushing them back, his heart throbbing hard in his chest. This was the man that had truly won Yuuri's heart all those years ago, the man that Wolfram honestly admired, whom he now called brother.

"You should not be up." Stepping towards the taller man, his expression softened when he caught a glimpse of Gwendal hovering just behind Conrart, ready to catch the man if his step faltered. "You shouldn't have let him, Gwendal." Wolfram said pointedly, his eyes however spoke of the deep love for both his siblings and of the soul deep pain that had torn through him when Conrart's body had been brought back to Covenant Castle. How was it that Conrart was alive? How was he here... when he had been buried under the shelter of the great tree that dominated Yuuri and Conrart's favourite garden? Whatever the reason, he was thankful for it. Annisina and Gunter were both trying to work out how... Thankfully though, Annisina hadn't started going on about 'experimentation'...

"He was most _persistent_." Gwendal grumbled, a hand lightly touching against his temple, rubbing at the headache that was starting to form just behind his eyes. This entire situation was insane. They had gotten Conrart back but had lost Yuuri in the process.

"What did you do, Conrart?" Amusement flashed just once, before he was crossing the space and reaching out with one hand to lightly touch the man's skin, feeling the heat of life clinging to it, the bandages wrapped tightly over the broad span of the man's chest. "Threaten him with Annisina?"

"Very close." Brown met green for a moment, sharing a quiet joke that only they knew, before his gaze flashed to the pale form on the bed, hidden beneath a mass of blankets, dark hair spilling across the stark white pillowcase. "Yuuri." His wounded heart stuttered slightly as he stepped forwards, staggering as he did so, but his shoulders were caught in two pairs of strong hands, steadying him as he moved. Conrart glanced to either side, feeling his spirits lift as both Wolfram and Gwendal assisted him, both brothers moving in unison to settle Conrart onto the edge of the wide bed, one that belonged not only to Yuuri but also to Conrart.

"The Sage won't say a word." Wolfram snapped, giving the bowl sitting on the table a contemptuous glare, beautiful features colouring with his temper and outrage. "Still as... _conniving_ as ever, he has himself holed up with Ulrike!"

A hand stretched out towards Yuuri's face, palm curving easily against the silky skin, feeling the thinness of the younger half-demon's features, the marks of anguish and the starvation on that beloved face. "Love." His heart was torn from him, his fingertips tracing out the curves of those features, his shoulders trembling slightly, his entire world crashing down around him without the beautiful obsidian eyes sparkling at him with amusement. Gathering up one of Yuuri's hands to him, he was drawing it softly to his lips, kissing the back of his lover's knuckles, feeling the slender frame shudder slightly at the contact, responding a little to the action. "Come back to me."

Resting his forehead against the warm fingers, he swallowed around the lump in his throat, wishing he knew what to do in this particular situation, his entire world was slowly unravelling and there was nothing he could do about it. The burn of tears was close to the surface at seeing his beloved's suffering, to remember the same tears in his memories. So many things fluttered around inside of his mind, a thousand possibilities lived and experienced, a thousand fragments of Yuuri's soul scattered by the power of the mirror.

What had brought him back? All he remembered was the brief flare of pain and the hard ground beneath him, the world crashing down around him and feeling Yuuri's terrible anguish. Shinou? Could it have been him that had reached out to draw Conrart back from that darkness?

"Where are you, Yuu? Where has your soul gone?" Nipping softly at the warm fingers, his body protested sitting up, though he shifted his weight, swing his legs onto the blankets as he gathered the unconscious body to him, cradling him as if he were nothing but a child. Face burying against the wild, untameable mass of raven strands, his lips sliding across several of them. "Are you somewhere... in my memory?" Could that be where Yuuri was, hidden within Conrart's own memories? Could the Demon Mirror allowed the man to see into those shadows places and bring just a little light to them.

* * *

**Grown wolfie! XDDDDDD **


	4. Part 4: Covenant Castle

**Author's Note: YAAY! final part! ^_^ I think it turned out rather well. XDDDDDDDD *amused* hope you like finally having... some fun. *laughs* **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing!**

* * *

"Conrart?"

The voice made the man's head lift from where it was nuzzled into the silky locks of Yuuri's hair, his soulful cinnamon eyes blinking against the light that spilled in through the doorway from the hallway. Night had fallen over Covenant Castle and most had returned to bed, the entire situation exhausting many who could find no explanation at all for the miracle of Conrart's return. Most doubts over his authenticity had been quelled quickly by both Annisina's experiments and an interrogation by both Gwendal and Wolfram, though neither had dared to even consider removing their brother from the side of the Maou.

"Mother?" His fingers stroked tenderly against the soft skin of Yuuri's jaw, drawing the man more tightly against his body, just needing the physical contact, anything to hold the man to him.

"When... when I heard..." Cecilie was trembling, her green eyes glittering with unshed tears as she entered the darkened bedroom, her expression revealing to him all the emotions that screamed through her soul as she gazed at the child she thought she had lost all over again. "I couldn't believe it..."

"Mother." One hand reached out towards her, not quite knowing what to say to comfort her when his own soul was in turmoil without Yuuri. They were so much a part of each other, he feared that he would never be able to draw his lover back to him from the dreams where the Maou had coiled himself in tightly.

Her hands were chilled from the night air outside, a flush of gooseflesh spread where she touched him, palms cupping his jaw and turning his face towards her. "My son." Tears shimmered in her eyes, sliding down over her beautiful cheeks, her entire body trembling with the ache that burned in her heart. "My boy... I thought I had lost you all over again." She hated the memory of being told of Conrart's death, of knowing that she had lost one of her beloved children.

"I thought... I had lost myself as well, Mother." His eyes drifted closed again as he leaned into her touch, comforted by it, unashamed of seeking out some of the contentment that touch provided him, knowing just how much she loved him.

"I'm certain his Majesty..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the slender frame leaning against Conrart's chest, the dark head that flopped limply to one side, raven locks framing the half starved face of the Maou. "...No... what happened, Conrart? What... on... The poor baby... did he exhaust himself?"

"No." It was a ragged sound the was torn from Conrart's throat, his grip tightening around his beloved, gathering the slender frame up and trying to warm the too cold frame. Rocking slowly, his face was buried against the wild mane again, fingers curling tightly in it, thumb rubbing tenderly against the nape of the younger man's neck. "He tried to follow me."

Cecilie froze, her entire expression showing her shock at those words. "Oh... Conrart."

"He tried to _follow_ me." Despair touched his tone, his helplessness at the situation, knowing that no matter how hard he tried the Demon Mirror would not respond to him. Only the Maou could... Suddenly his cinnamon eyes turned from the bowl resting half out of sight to his mother for one long moment and swallowed.

"No... no, Baby, please don't ask me that." Cecilie was heartbroken at the quiet request she saw in her son's brown eyes, the plea for her to help him. "_Please_. I can't lose you again, my darling Conrart." Tears shimmered in her emerald green eyes, so many emotions swirling right there.

"Mother." It was a entreaty, wretchedly soft.

Her body gave out under her as she sagged into the chair beside the bed, just gazing at her son and the one that had truly brought Conrart back to them all. Green eyes studied the handsome features of the soldier's face, her gaze trailing downwards taking in the slashing scars that swept across his muscular body and the tight bandages coiled around his chest, the slight hint of red darkening the fabric. What would happen if she refused? What would happen if no one allowed Conrart the chance to follow after Yuuri?

"Mother, I love you." One hand stretched out towards her, fingertips brushing softly at the tears that trailed down over her cheeks, feathering against her pale skin. In that moment, he could see the years weighing on her, the long years of suffering and grief that had filled her life. The guilt over the war with the humans and her inability to fight against the control of her older brother. For the first time, he could see everything inside of her, really see it and his fingers slipped upwards, stroking back the wild blonde locks, knowing just how much she had felt for his father and all the other men in her life. "I truly do and I am _grateful_ that you are my mother, because no other could have been better for me or my brothers."

Cecilie sobbed, clutching at his hand and holding it closer to her skin, pressing her cheek into the warmth of it and finding peace in her heart for the first time in a long while. "You always did know just what to say." And she knew she had to do this for him, or he would end up just like Yuuri had, a ghost barely alive and moving on autopilot. The two existed as one being, so entwined, so deeply in love that the absence of the other tore half of them away, leaving a gaping wound that would never heal. "Come back to me, Conrart, please... if anything... bring him back with you and come back to me."

Managing to stand, she returned with the bowl, fingers sliding across the rim of it, feeling the energy fluttering around within its protective curve. It responded to her, even though she was no longer the Maou, it answered her request to allow another to step through the doorway and follow Yuuri into wherever it was he had gone.

Conrart leaned over Yuuri's body, holding the man close to him tightly as he gazed into the depths of the bowl and caught his own reflection in the broken pieces of mirror that glittered in the bottom. Brows drew together as he stared at them, catching facets of himself in their depths. And suddenly he felt a pull, like a wrenching at his soul all over again, tearing him free again from his body as he slumped back, head lolling to one side, brown eyes glassy and fractured with silver steel.

And in the darkness, a woman silently wept in hope that they would come back to them all.

* * *

Conrart jerked sharply, his entire body tingled with sensations as he came sharply awake leaning against the headboard of a bed, his chest heaving as he blinked to clear his vision. His hand instantly clamped around his left upper arm, wincing at the fresh burst of pain that rain along his shoulder and down to his fingers from the bandaged wound. Shifting slightly against the stiff sheets, his gaze swept the room, taking in the filthy coat sitting across the back of a chair, the colours almost burning him up inside to know exactly where and _when_ he was. Fransia, before the final show down against Big Cimaron, the night after he had confronted Gunter.

It was an odd feeling, to be back here, back inside one of his own memories. The solid wood behind his head felt real, the raw pain of his left arm, the aches and scraps across his exhausted body, the knowledge that he had betrayed his Maou. The emotions rocked him, almost tossing him so hard he couldn't breath, this was one of his memories just as he had thought. The Demon Mirror had not used Yuuri's memories but his own to produce this particular world, this particular bubble of space where Yuuri had hidden himself away from reality.

Conrart had done to the same, his soul fleeing back to a point where life had been quiet, back to the days on the main Wincott Estate where he had first met Julia. Even there... Yuuri had come for him, a piece of the man knowing exactly where he had gone and stayed with him. _Yulian_. The name fluttered through his mind with the images of a man so like Yuuri, but not burdened by the weight of leadership of an entire Kingdom. Even there Yuuri had been trying to protect him, trying to shelter him from the world from the evils that had almost robbed him of his life, protecting Julia, protecting him from Geigen Huber and Stoffel and his own need to prove that they were just as loyal as any other demons.

Then Lutenberg, the memory so clear, the rain soaked Yuuri Shibuya standing before him in the quiet of the Inn, long hair plastered to his face and just looking at him with such sorrow filled eyes that it turned his heart over sharply in his chest. The slender man protecting him on the battlefield, running right into the fires of hell to pull him out. Yuuri had been there, the main part of Yuuri had been there... and then... had been gone again abruptly.

"Always trying to protect me." Things were slowly starting to make sense, the thousands of memories and moments that hadn't been there before, Yuuri trying to find him, trying to hold him close for just a little longer. "Always keeping me safe."

It had been Yuuri that had held him, held his soul to the world of the living and not let it slip over into the next, gripping him so tightly, keeping him swaddled in his own memories to prevent him from sliding away. His Beloved's powers _had_ worked that horrible Autumn night, despite Yuuri's own wounds and utter exhaustion, the Maou had pulled his soul back from the edge, holding it as tightly as possible and never once letting go in all those months. His body might not have lasted, but his soul had.

Like Julia's soul, like Christine's, his had been kept safe by someone that cared for him. Conrart's had been caught between worlds, between the land of the living and the dead. He had been able to follow the trail Yuuri had left for him, follow the path upwards into the light, but Yuuri had been caught, trapped here while Conrart had escaped.

Now he was back in the realm where shadows lurked ready to consume them if their grip loosened even a little.

_Where was Yuuri?_ He could feel his beloved, feel the presence that seemed to fill the entire world, overwhelming him for a moment and making his breath leave him in a rush of relief.

Shifting from the bed, he was on his feet, swaying ever so slightly while he regained his balance, being reminded that his strength was limited given the state he had come in, he desperately hoped that he would be able to convince Yuuri that he really was there.

The window slipped open a little further, a dark form sliding in through the small gap between window and frame, barely making a whisper of sound. Obsidian eyes glinted like polished stones in that too thin, too pale face, the man hesitating by the window, clearly uncertain whether it was safe to be there.

Conrart's heart clenched at the sight, his entire body stilling as he just watched the man move, the expression on that beloved face that tore out everything inside of him at the pain there. He wished to wrap the man up in his arms, drag him closer and refuse to ever let him go again. Guilt flared, hot and overwhelming, he was the cause of his lover's pain, that night so many months past, he should have requested several soldiers come with them, but Yuuri had just been so worried about the dying ashes of the fire rising again he had not been able to deny his lover his request.

"Yuuri."

The man straightened at the sound of the familiar voice, instantly giving Conrart a heart-stopping smile, pulling the window shut before crossing the space between them.

"Sorry I took so long." Sweeping the long raven strands out of his face and into the edges of the hood, he looked Conrart up and down, relaxing and glancing towards the locked door out into the corridor. "The guards were everywhere."

What could he say? How could he say it to convince his lover? "Let me have a look at you." A hand stretched out to carefully sweep the hood back and away from the Maou's face, the pads of his fingers sliding caress the beautiful face, knowing the lines of it intimately.

Turning his head into the caress, his dark eyes half closed, lips parting and clearly imagining something more than just his hands. Yuuri wanted nothing more than to imagine that the eyes looking at him would reflect more than just this man in this moment, no matter how much he wished for the past to comfort him, even now, he craved the knowing smile and the glint of promise in those eyes.

"Love."

His world spun once at that word, leaving him almost swaying with the sweetness of it.

"Look at me."

Obsidian met cinnamon. An electric arc leaping from one man to the other, a promise of something unexplainable.

"This isn't real." Yuuri sobbed softly, tears coming to his eyes and burning down over his cheeks, his fingers clenched into tight fists as his little dream came crashing down around him. Reality never could wait. Conrart was dead and he had been unable to save him, unable to bring back the only person that had ever truly mattered. "You aren't real." His entire body shook with the force of his grief, his legs almost giving out from under him as the weight of the months alone hit him hard in the gut. "This... this is all... my doing..." Only his magic was holding this world up, preventing the memories from unravelling and sliding away from him like Conrart's spirit had. The Maou felt as drained as he had that night, the horrible night everything had gone wrong.

The Double Black almost jerked hard away from the warmth that suddenly enfolded him, his entire body being drawn forwards and up against a broad chest, his face turned into the curve of Conrart's throat as he cradled him lovingly. The cloak slipped to the floor, completely abandoned and allowed a hand to cup the back of the dark head and draw him away enough to be able to lean in and kiss him deeply, mouth moving across the trembling lips.

Yuuri clung to him hard, fingers digging into the fabric, shaking like a leaf within the curve of those arms, his tears continuing to tumble down unchecked and soaked into Conrart's shirt. "No matter what I try... I know I'll never get you back. I can't be without you." There had only been one other time that he had ever truly been without Conrart, during the search for the boxes. In his heart, he had questioned why he had subconsciously picked this moment to come relive. Was... was it because he had wanted to be here for Conrart? Or... had it been he needed to be with the swordsman to erase the feeling of loneliness that had prevailed during these months without the steady support of this man. "I can't... It was my fault that you... that you died."

"It wasn't, Yuuri. I know it wasn't. We both thought it was safe and I knew better than to not have someone go with us."

"I asked you to let the guards stay."

Guilt rested on both of them for that night or so it felt.

And then the words from the tall soldier hit Yuuri square in the gut and he jerked backwards, eyes wide as they stared up into the face of the man before him, his mouth working for a moment, a choked wail escaped him.

"_Yuuri_."

"No." The younger man's backside hit the edge of the table hard after backpedalling and just staring into the beautiful cinnamon eyes that deepened in colour, the intensity of emotions glittering there definitely the one he knew. Where had Conrart come from? His beloved? Where had this precious treasure slipped from in his mind? He hadn't dared touch the memories he had together with Conrart after they had become lovers, there wasn't a moment he regretted amongst them and he couldn't... face the dream of seeing eyes like these looking back at him.

"You pulled me back, Beloved. Kept me from slipping away into the darkness and forgetting the world."

"Impossible!" Yuuri shook his head wildly, his raven mane falling around his shoulders in a tangled mass, his entire body shuddering as he stubbled to the side, knocking against the back of the chair. The window was to one side of him, if he could get to it, he could tear it open and flee into the night. The man couldn't face reality, _this_ reality. The pain was still raw an ache in his heart that left him barely able to breath at all, his stomach was knotting fiercely, twisting and being wrenched hard in his gut by invisible strings. "I... I failed."

"No, you didn't." His hands reached out towards Yuuri, his own heart crumbling at the sight of his lover's anguish, his entire insides feeling like glass had been jabbed hard into his very soul and slashed him to pieces. "Yuu, Beloved, I'm right here, I came here to bring you back to me."

Obsidian eyes widened, lips quivering as he finally found the edge of the window, feeling it slide easily against its frame and hoping that he would be fast enough. He couldn't do this. Here, faced with the sparks of hope that swirled at the sound of that voice. He couldn't hope anymore. Yuuri Shibuya had tried everything to ease the pain, anything to sooth the raw agony that dwelled inside.

"Don't run from me."

But he couldn't stop himself, tearing the window open and launching himself into the night, hearing Conrart coming right after him, the larger frame hitting the edge of the frame and breaking it outwards, shards of glass and wood raining down around both of them as Conrart reached out for him as they both plunged into the darkness of the night and the embrace of dreams.

* * *

His entire body jolted slightly as sensations flared outwards, his entire body arching upwards into the touches, the large hands tenderly caressing along the curve of his hips. A mouth was against his skin, moist and so hot it scorched all the way inside of him as he arched and gasped, fingers clenching helplessly into the warm head that rested against his hips. Dappled sunlight streamed through the branches of the old gnarled tree overhead, the splashes of light almost blinding him as he groaned softly, twisting his head away slightly, trying not to end up blinded either by the golden rays or the pleasure that assailed him.

"Oh... Kami!"

Body arching restlessly, his hips thrust upwards, shuddering as he felt completely overwhelmed by the ecstasy that overwhelmed his senses as his world exploded. Hands clenching in the soft silky strands, nails digging into the man's scalp, his world nothing more than a sea of stars and utter bliss that surged in waves over every nerve ending he had. How long had it been since he had felt such utter pleasure? Since that mouth had touched him so intimately, since those large hands spanned his body, caressing and coaxing a thousand little noises from his throat.

Heat flooded out of him as he whimpered, melting into the softness of the blanket beneath his bare back. Inhaling deeply as he was slowly drifting back to himself, he stroked his hand across a slightly stubbled jaw, a thumb sweeping across one lower lip slightly and felt that tongue flick over the pad of his finger. His palm being nuzzled tenderly, lips sliding against his wrist and wooing him so fast his entire body ached all over again, unable to deny the raw desire that stirred inside of him.

He remembered this day. The surprise he had felt when he had awoken to find himself snuggled against Conrart on the back of a horse, the man having spirited him off away from the castle to one of their favourite spots, where no one would find them for a few hours. Conrart had been hungry for him, cinnamon eyes burning with an expression that made Yuuri melt into a puddle, knowing that his beloved craved him so much that he had carried him off without word to any other besides Yozak as to their whereabouts so that they could have some _privacy_.

"I won't let you run from me." The heated mouth scooted up over his belly, trailing a line of delicate little kisses against the skin, nuzzling against the curve of his hip and turning his attention to Yuuri's belly button, lapping at it slowly, exploring. "You came for me and I'm here _for you_." Fire flared and burned in those steel stars that shimmered to life in Conrart's eyes, the light of something that had mellowed in the other man over time but was now alive all over again.

"You... can't be real."

"Why?" A hand stroked against the inside of Yuuri's thigh, sliding back and forth against the warm flesh, teasing and caressing until the younger man was arching again into the contact, breathless with want. "Why can't I be real?"

"Because..."

The stubbled jaw rubbed against the painfully hard part of Yuuri's anatomy, nibbling along the curve of one slender leg, knowing exactly what affect he was having on his lover. "Yuuri Shibuya, do not make me ask you again." A nip made the dark haired half-demon buck wildly against the exquisite pressure, one hand curving back into that wonderful silk mass of hair, clutching at it tightly.

"I'm not strong enough to hope again." Yuuri's voice was barely above a whisper as he shuddered once with the sensations fluttering upwards through every inch of his body. Tears were burning behind his lids, wanting to free themselves again, but he didn't want to let them fall, he didn't want to spoil this moment where they were so close together, sheltered away from the rest of the world. He had been curled up in Conrart's memories, enfolded in a world that someone else had lived in, but this one was his, one of his favourites.

The warm sunshine spilled down across his already flushed skin, as a mouth found a nipple, circling it slowly and drawing a whimpering groan from his lips. Teeth nipped, leaving a few dark marks across his skin, the longer strands of hair teasing his skin in long slow caresses across his chest.

"You've always been strong, Yuuri." Conrart shifted slightly, his own body making its demands extremely clear, the physical contact was intoxicating, the knowledge that he had Yuuri's very soul under his hands. He had been able to follow him from one fragmented memory to another, that if he held on tight enough then he would be able to remain close to the one he loved. "So _strong_. You have always protected me, even when I did not understand that, it has always been you keeping me safe, protecting my heart and soul."

"You've got that..." A soft whimper slipped from between his lips, the heat surging in waves, drawing a few more erotic little sounds from him, his hips shifting restlessly. "...The wrong way... you _protected_ me."

"What are you feeling? Tell me... so I can figure out how to make it better... even a little." A palm rubbed slowly up across the hard length again, gaining him a breathless little gasp and a wild squirm of pleasure.

"If... if I hadn't insisted... we leave the guards... if I had been riding my own horse..." Fingers dug hard against one of the broad shoulders, clinging to it for a long moment, his entire body shuddering with the overwhelming grief that surged all over again. It still felt so fresh even though he had lost Conrart six months before it did nothing to dull the horrible pain that pounded in his mind like a living thing, sweeping away most of the beautiful of this particular moment with this dream lover. "You took the arrow for me." It had actually gone clean through his lover, slicing through flesh and cutting into the heart. Hands trembled as they touched the broad shoulders, fingers spasming as he could no longer quite bring himself to touch the handsome man over him. "If I hadn't been there... you..."

"_Yuuri_."

Obsidian eyes lifted to stare into the luminous steel streaked cinnamon brown gaze, his heart freezing in his chest for a second at the vision before him, skipping several beats in the process. "Don't... don't say my name like that." Chin twisting away, his body stiff and trembling beneath the calloused palms, yet the flames that licked and seared at his flesh made him all to aware that he couldn't ignore Conrart.

"How else should I say it?" Nuzzling the warm belly, lapping at his belly button again, his stubbled cheeks slid lower again, rasping erotically against silky thighs. "You are not at fault. Neither of us is, we were both exhausted, we have both felt safe that night..." Though he should have been far more aware of his surroundings, they had both thought it safe as it had been for well over a decade... the assassination attempt had _shocked_ them. "But Yuuri, I am alive, I came here into this land of memories and dreams to find you and bring you back home."

"You can't be _here_."

"Why not?" Yuuri's ankles were lifted, palms sliding down the underside of the man's calves, drawing them over broad shoulders, allowing one hand to drop between them and stroke intimately at his lover. "Why can't I be in our memory? You were in mine, were you not?"

"Its different." Lips parted, obsidian eyes heavily lidded and a startled little gasp escaped him as fingers caressed in slow circles before one slipped inside him, making his entire body arch at the stimulation. "It... is..."

"How so?"

"I... I'm holding it up... Shinou... he helped me..."

"Shinou?"

"Mmmh..._oooh_."

"That might explain things." Conrart considered as a second finger was slipping inside his lover slowly, rubbing against the tense muscles, caressing and easing the tightness there. His mouth stroked along the aching length that throbbed against his cheek, tongue slipping across the underside of it, delighted by the fact that Yuuri was responding to him.

A fingertip brushed against the scar that ran across one eyebrow, thumb sweeping the length of it slowly, fingers siding into the fall of autumn brown locks, sweeping them back away from his lover's face to be able to peer at him. "...Con...?" It came out as a choked sob.

"I'm right here, Yuuri."

A heated brush of air fluttered across the wet skin almost made the dark haired man scream with pleasure, it had been so long since he had felt that good. Far too long.

"Stay with me." The back of his fingers swept along one cheek, lingering there, feeling the warm air slide against the back of his wrist, the life that permeated every cell of his beloved. "Please, Con, don't leave me."

"I won't." He promised his other half, his lips turning upwards into a smile as he kissed the back of his beloved's hand, nuzzling the silky soft skin. "Mine own."

"I need to feel you inside of me." The Maou whimpered softly, gasping as those elegant digits twisted around inside of him and were producing the hottest little bubbles bursting inside of his gut. "I need to feel all of you."

"Never could resist an offer like that." Grinning, his fingers retreated from the tight body, his knees sliding beneath the slender rear, supporting his lover as he leaned over him, spreading those legs wide. The push inside was languorous, every inch a tight slide of hot steel stiffness and resisting muscle. "By... all the..." A long groan escaped Conrart as he penetrated his lover, broad shoulders shaking with the effort to take it slowly. "You're so _tight_."

Yuuri's smile matched Conrart's, his head tipping upwards slightly, just allowing the warm sunlight to brush across his face, his arms resting on either side of him, stretched out and practically boneless as he allowed Conrart complete control. "What do you expect when I haven't had someone touch me like this for _months_."

"_**Someone**_?" One slow thrust, a touch rougher than he had planned at the words. His mouth found a nipple again, biting down hard in threat if he wasn't answered, though the abused flesh was soon being lapped at, the hard bud responding to the wild movements.

"Yes. _Someone_." The teasing was back, the easy play between them, the warmth spreading to replace the heavy weight of grief that had utterly consumed his life. "I was lonely you see..."

"No one has any _right_ to touch you." A sharp thrust had Yuuri practically sobbing as Conrart angled to strike that sweetspot, hand closing around the damp shaft of his lover's length, working it roughly, thumb sliding over the head. "No one is ever going to take you from me. I know I'm the only one to touch your heart... to have all of it."

Their bodies were sliding together, a tangle of limbs and heated flesh, the soldier barely able to keep himself from just claiming everything from his lover. The slender body was just so tight, so welcoming and he couldn't quite resist the lure of it. Hot, slick, sexy. His free hand coiled into the untamed mane of raven, curling into it and lifting the beautiful face towards him, kissing Yuuri deeply and just devouring his lover completely as their bodies slid together, merging slowly into one single being. The world was beginning to crack around them, the tree fragmenting into parts, as if someone had shattered a mirror. This little reality that they had retreated to was dying.

"Look at me." Conrart breathed against Yuuri's damp lips, lapping at them softly, thrusting harder and deeper into the willing body, hissing out a sigh of pleasure as muscles clamped down on him. "Look just at me." Black locked with brown, an arching jolt of _something_ passing between them in that one moment.

It felt as if shards of glass were tinkering down across his back, a fine shower of a thousand million separate colours each held within a grain of sand. Conrart ignored it all in favour of his lover, both arms sliding beneath the slender body, cradling Yuuri tightly against his chest as legs slipped from his shoulders and looped around his waist, pulling him closer. Lifting the thin half-demon into his lap, he was tucking the beautiful face against his throat, closing his own eyes as they rocked together in a heated dance of bodies.

The coils of heat spread from where they were joined, skin rubbing erotically, a touch damp with sweat, Conrart rocking hard, drifting in deep, melting them together. He buried his face against the silky strands, seeking out the long ragged scars that ran across one side of his lover's scalp, lapping where it ran just behind his lover's ear. "I love you."

Arms hugged the soldier close, his fingernails biting erotically into flesh, scrapping and clawing a little as the pressure continued to build up between them, wave after wave of it crashing up and over them. "Its... too much." He gasped, breathless with anticipation and desperate from need. Pressing himself down hard against that rock hard length penetrating deeply into him, his muscles squeezed about it, working every inch of the velvet covered steel of Conrart's erection. "You... are too much... too much to contain... to much to hold onto..."

"Then I'll just hold onto you." Conrart whispered back as he allowed his own tears to fall, both of them silently weeping for the long months of separation and anguish that had consumed what had been so full of joy. "I'll hold every part of you together, I'll be here, my Beloved. I'll be your sword and shield." Palm cradling the tight rear, he squeezed hard, getting a bite to the throat in return for the torment.

Words became impossible.

As the world crumbled around them, the colours melting away into blackness, the soldier drew Yuuri back with him, cradling the essence of his other half back with him to the real world. Reality was beginning to encroach on them, the sounds of familiar voices invading their privacy, the fields and trees giving away to the stone walls of Covenant Castle.

Yuuri's cry of utter pleasure broken the darkness, head arching back, black eyes wide with surprise as the coiled heat exploded with the force of a demolition charge, rocking both of them as the smaller man's body began to desperately milk the soldier's length, drifting him to climax as well. Descending over the edge together, Conrart sheltered Yuuri's body with his own. Their voices mingling together as the world was engulfed with flames of ecstasy.

The glass completely fractured all the way through and allowing both to slide through its razor sharp embrace and back to where they belonged.

* * *

Obsidian eyes blinked slightly against the sudden intrusion of brightness that assailed his surroundings. The familiar bed rested beneath his back, his body jerking upwards with a helpless sob, his hand covering his mouth and tried to keep the sounds from escaping him, the memories burned all the way through him. The feeling of those hands on him after so long, the dream so vivid it felt real, the relief of having Conrart back being replaced by the raw agony that always came when he found himself along in his own bed. Sheets were sliding down over his skin, pooling across his lap and he positively groaned at the contact between silk and hot sensitive flesh.

His hair was plastered against his skin, clinging to the sides of his face and the back of his neck as his fingers lifted from where they had been clutched in the sheets, brushing up across his belly and aching nipples that felt like someone had... A whimper was torn from his lips at the contact, squirming uncomfortably against the mattress and becoming even more aware that other parts of him were aching deliciously from rather intimate use. There had only ever been one person he had allowed to touch him like this, to consume every part of his body and... let down his guard.

_Had he betrayed him? _

The thought that he had allowed another to touch him was repugnant and made his skin crawl. Even though his beloved was gone he would never allow any other to ever take his place. Conrart was _everything_ to him and Yuuri was extremely loyal to his other half. His hand lifted higher, wanting to curl his fingers around the familiar ring that hung down against his skin and found absolutely nothing, his heart clenched sharply. Where was Conrart's ring?

Suddenly a hand brushed across his thigh, calloused fingers stroking slow erotic circles from knee to groin, the cool metal of a ring teasing his flushed skin. The bed shifted beneath him, the warmth of another invading the sheets and all of his senses. A thumb feathered delicately against a forming love bite on Yuuri's flushed skin, tracing the edges of it in the candle lit darkness of his bedroom.

"Please... don't touch me." His voice was a raw croak, his throat dry and clearly he had been doing more than just talking to whoever it was that shared his bed. "I'm sorry... but please... don't." Scooting away, he turned his back on the other occupant of the bed, rolling and almost stumbling as he tried to avoid looking back at his night time visitor.

His eyes swept the darkness, noting the forgotten book he had last seen Wolfram reading on the chair beside the bed... flowers and a knitted animal from Gwendal. And the cracked Demon Mirror resting with them, half hidden amongst the objects, looking almost abandoned and quite out of place.

"What have I done?" Yuuri asked himself, hands covering his face and shoulders sagging as he felt soft kisses brushing across his shoulders and he flinched away. "Oh... Kami... what... what have I done?"

"I thought that would be obvious?" Strong arms swept around Yuuri's waist, tugging him backwards against the edge of the bed and back against a strong chest. A mouth caressed the curve of the dark haired man's throat, lapping slowly over the slightly salty skin in something almost akin to amusement. "Or... was it not enough?"

That _voice_.

"Come back to bed. There is no need to be walking around in the cold at this time of morning."

"Con...?"

"Yes?" Nuzzling Yuuri's shoulder, he nibbled at the flushed skin tenderly, half dragging the slender man back onto the bed with him, tucking them both beneath the blankets and practically coiling himself around his lover.

"You're... real?"

"I would hope so."

Trembling hands touched the broad chest, encountering bandages and felt his heart lurch, his eyes slowly lifting to be able to gaze into his lover's face, swallowing around the large lump lodged in his throat. "How?" Was this reality? Was he finally back in his own body? His fingers slipped over shoulders, sliding down over every inch of Conrart's skin, feeling each and every scar that lined that body, being able to count the years by each raised mark. "It... is you."

"It seems Shinou managed to keep my body... alive in some fashion or at least in one piece... and you slowly drew my soul back to the surface of... well... back towards life and after you went through the Mirror, you left me a trail to follow back to my own body." It was all quite crazy and they would both need a long talk with Shinou about it, but Conrart didn't care how it happened but was just grateful to the powers that be that he could be once more with his beloved.

"Shinou?" Obsidian eyes blinked at that, trying to let his memories order themselves. He remembered things that... he had never experienced. He had seen the Battle of Lutenberg, held Conrart close as they rode to safety. Seen this man as a raw force of nature... furious and reckless in battle... seen another side of his lover and understood how others could call him the Lion of Lutenberg. "Do you...?"

"Yes. I seem to have a new set of memories... it is all quite... interesting." Both brows lifted at that and he smiled a little amused by it, but relief flared through him knowing that Yuuri was back with him that all would be well once more. "A gift."

"Yes. Yes it is... I am glad for them." Because he remembered more about Conrart Weller, knew more about this man's past, had lived another life in this world with him... knew Suzanna Julia... knew so many from before he had first arrived in Shin Makoku. The sense of home only added to by them. "Even the darker ones... I... I _know_ them, I know Julia... Delchais. Gisela... so many that have gone before us."

"Wolfram... Gwendal... The others..." His eyes gazing at the gifts sitting close by, his heart warming at the sight of them as Conrart cradled him there in the darkness. "I... I abandoned them."

"No. You just did what you needed to do. You brought me back and they all understand that, no one is angry with you." Brushing his lips against Yuuri's temple, he just tightened his hold on the smaller man. "I spoke to them." Both hands stroked over the slender body, lingering over the too thin frame and promising himself that he would definitely make sure that Yuuri didn't skip a single meal.

"How come... I feel like I've been well loved?"

"Well... you were." Conrart muffled a laugh against his lover's throat, before entwining their hands, their rings clinching softly together. "Even if it might have been a dream... it seems as if things there... reflected what we were... up to here..." With a bemused cough, he wasn't about to admit that when he had come back to himself, Gwendal had been standing stock still in the doorway looking as if he had been hit squarely in the face by a pillow and... The flush on his brother's cheeks had been enough to earn him a wicked little grin from Conrart.

"Oh... Kami." Yuuri groaned, fingers coiling tightly in the brown strands, shaking his head and just pressing in closer, allowing his heart to ease and for everything to slowly slide out of him. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"Let's just say, Gwendal will not be able to come within a hundred paces of both of us for at least a week without going bright red."

"_What_?"

"Oh nothing."

"Conrart!"

And happy laughter followed a whimpering little moan.

* * *

**LOL ^_^ yay for the finish!**


End file.
